NEW-BRUNSVVICK,  | 

Kf.W-JERSEV.  J 

^  j!l!j!i}#il^i;ii!i!l!HyiIii!jIi!iilj!iifc;{^  ^ 


U50-J 


fi^TK/^ 


^^         * 


o 

brt  <^ 


C/5 

H 


bri 
br) 
H 
W 


c 
■-I 

to 

C/5 

o 
3 


(T) 


o 

n 


bd 


ADVENTURES  IN  TEXAS, 


CHIEFLY  IN 


THE  SPRING  AND  SUMMER  OF  1840; 


WITH  A  DISCUSSION  OF 

COMPARATIVE  CHARACTER, 

POLITICAL,    RELIGIOUS    AND    MORAL; 

ACCOMPANIED  BY 

AN   APPENDIX, 

Containing  an  humble  attempt  to  aid  in  establishing  and  conducting 

Literary  and  Ecclesiastical  Institutions  with  consistency 

and  prosperity,  upon  the  good  old  foundation 

of  the  favour  of  God  our  Saviour. 

BY   W.   L.   M^CALLA. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRINTED  FOR  THE  AUTHOR. 

184  1. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2007  witii  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://www.arcliive.org/details/cliarterbylawsliouOOdallricli 


PREFACE. 


The  occurrences  here  published,  are  called 
"  Adventures,"  instead  of  a  tour,  journey,  or 
journal;  because,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  much 
that  would  belong  to  a  journal  is  omitted. 
Through  a  great  desire  for  making  my  book  as 
small  as  possible,  it  w^as  at  first  w^ritten  with- 
out the  affair  of  "The  Hospitable  Hunter." 
An  earnest  remonstrance  against  that  particu- 
lar omission,  induced  me  afterward  to  write 
it,  and  to  place  it  in  Chapter  IX.,  to  which  it 
chronologically  belongs.  The  narrative  was 
at  first  written  upon  the  plan  of  concealing  the 
name  of  the  author,  and  the  names  of  almost 
all  other  persons  concerned.  This  original 
design  is  now  so  far  changed  as  to  publish  the 
writer's  name;  and  thus  to  expose  him  to  the 


charge  of  egotism,  which  he  had  hoped  to 
escape.  In  mitigation  of  this  offence,  he  hopes 
that  the  reader  will  give  him  due  credit,  for  the 
jugulation  of  matter  which  would  have  filled  a 
large  volume,  besides  the  olla  podrida  of  an 
Appendix.  If  any  error  be  found,  it  is  hoped 
and  requested,  that  an  explanation,  correction, 
or  defence  may  be  allowed  in  the  same  paper 
or  some  other.  May  that  best  of  all  friends, 
who  powerfully  and  sweetly  supported  the 
author  in  all  his  adventures,  grant  a  blessing 
with  the  publication  of  the  few  w^hich  are  here 
related. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Voyag;e  in  a  schooner.  Its  want  of  cleanliness,  and  comfort.  It  takes 
up  the  Captain  and  crew  of  a  wreck.  A  trial  of  sleeping  on  the 
deck,  ihe  cabin-floor,  the  locker,  the  state-room,  and  the  steerage. 
Profanity  of  the  Captain  and  crew.  Gale  oif  Cape  Hatteras.  An- 
other blow.  Danger  of  suffocation.  Ax'rival  at  Galveston.  Kind- 
ness of  the  people.  Communion.  Education.  Delightful  and  ad- 
vantageous situation  of  the  city  ------         13 

CHAPTER  II. 

Galveston  Bay,  and  the  City  of  Houston.  Commence  the  tour  of 
Texas  alone,  on  an  Indian  pony.  The  animal  escapes,  and  leaves 
the  traveller  to  can-y  his  baggage  through  the  mud,  during  the  after- 
noon, and  lodge,  dinnerless  and  supperless  in  a  tree,  during  the 
night.  Hardly  any  fatigue  or  weakness,  but  great  comfort  and  en- 
joyment.    Pony  recovered 18 

CHAPTER  III. 

An  apprenticeship  of  a  couple  of  days,  to  a  veteran  Texan  traveller 
from  Kentucky,  to  learn  the  mysteries  of  wilderness  journeying. — 
Lodge  in  the  open  air  near  some  wagoners,  who,  with  their  wagons 
and  oxen,  had  just  crossed  a  deep  bayou  by  swimming.— Joined  in 
worship,  and  showed  great  kindness.— Roused  from  slumber  by  rain 
falling  in  the  face.— Narrowly  escaped  submersion  in  crossing  the 
bayou  on  a  tree  thrown  over  it  .         ....         25 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Walk  after  the  pony  twenty  miles.  A  frontier  dwelling.  A  ride  by 
the  compass.  Obliged  to  camp  out.  Symptom  of  the  approach  of 
Indians  or  wild  beasts.  Arrival  at  Austin,  and  preaching  without 
offence,  against  sins  which  it  is  not  lawfiil  to  mention  in  some  Pres- 
byterian congregations  in  the  United  States,  for  fear  of  being  consi- 
dered personal.  Kindness  of  the  cabinet.  God's  blessing  regularly 
asked  by  the  landlord  or  some  other,  at  the  meals  of  the  chief  hotel 
in  this  capital  of  Texas ! *8 


CHAPTER  V. 

Encamp  aloiie  on  leaving  Austin.  Travel  with  a  detachment  of  Texan 
mounted  Men.  Adventure  with  a  Mexican  hor^e  who  was  for  all 
doctrine  and  no  practice.  Drenched  with  a  nocturnal  tempest ;  in 
which  permitted  to  siirig.     A  taste  of  military  service    -         -         32 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Leave  the  army  at  Bexar  to  travel  alone  to  Goliad.  Warned  against 
the  attempt,  as  fraught  with  danger.  Camanchees  pursuing  a  Mex- 
ican on  the  raid.  Travel  with  twelve  Mexican  Indians  who  had  nine 
ox  carts.  Leave  them  at  hed-time,  and  take  shelter  in  a  remote  island 
of  timber  during  a  violent  storm  and  tlie  remainder  of  the  night. 
Pass  them  in  the  morning.  Overtaken  by  tAVo  of  them,  when  stop- 
ping for  dinner.  Overtake  five  others  who  had  passed  in  the  morn- 
ing. Found  that  a  sermon  against  Popery,  fandangos  and  horse- 
stealing would  be  considered  rather  jjersonal.  Pony  saved  by  a  ruse 
the  first  night,  and  lost  the  next  night  by  a  moment's  neglect         37 

CHAPTER   VII. 

Found  at  Victoria  a  i-eal  Mexican  gentleman  at  last,  in  an  old  pack- 
horse,  successor  to  pony.  Long  walk.  Fresh  venison  supper  and 
breakfast  in  a  solitary  encampment  on  the  Arenoso.  Bay  and  river 
of  la  Bacca.  The  valley  decked  with  pools  like  those  of  David's 
valley  of  Baca  I  Land  of  milk  and  honey.  Exposure  to  the  sun. 
Dangerous  sickness.  Saved  from  death  by  the  kindness  of  God  and 
of  a  Texan  family     .--.-.--43 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Riding  through  the  rain,  once  and  again,  immediately  after  recovery. 
A  noble  hunter  on  the  West  Caranchua  Creek.  Wild  road  to  the 
East  Caranchua ;  after  swimming  which,  sleep  safely  under  a  tree, 
in  wet  clothes.     Texan  hunter's  song    *      -  -         -  -         48 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Another  hospitable  hunter      ---.-_.  52 

CHAPTER  X. 

Sickness  on  the  Brasos.     Religious  character  -         -         -         54 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Sickness  on  the  Bayou,  and  on  the  Island.  Wonderful  goodness  of 
God,  and  kindness  of  the  people  -----         55 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Political,  religious,  moral  character.  Notice  of  Mr.  Edward's  account 
of  Texas,  as  greatly  worse  tlian  the  United  States  -         -         62 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mr.  Edward's  contrast  of  tlie  Eastern  and  Western  sides  of  the  Sabine 
cursorily  examined,  in  regard  to  forgery  and  perjury ;  swindling  and 
Swartwoutism ;  assaults,  robberies,  and  rapes  ;  gambling  and  shaving ; 
stealing  and  ])awn-broking  ;  Ellslerism  and  murder ;  barbarism,  irre- 
ligion,  and  hypocrisy         -------63 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Testimony  and  conduct  of  Texas  in  relation  to  Popeiy  better  than  tliat 
of  otlier  countrit-s      -------.85 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Far  niore  show  than  reality  in  much  of  the  Protestantism  of  the  United 
States      -- 88 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Antichristian  common  law  punishes  a  man  for  exposing  corruption 
in  the  United  States,  whereas  the  ccmstitution  of  Texas  says  that 
*'  In  all  prosecutions  for  libels  the  truth  may  be  given  in  evidence." 
Thieves  always  object  to  a  search        -----         93 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  reason  that  the  character  of  the  United  States  sometimes  appears 
superior  to  that  of  I'exas  is,  that  some  of  their  churches,  which  form 
their  character  in  part,  hold  too  much  the  Exoteric  and  Esoteric  po- 
licy of  the  Pagan  i)hilosophers  and  the  Popish  priests  -         99 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Texas  under  a  great  disadvantage,  from  a  dearth  of  ecclesiastical  titles 
of  nobility,  indis].>e]isable  to  liberty  and  religion  :  whereas  literaiy 
clouds  have  long  sprijdcled  the  United  States  with  D.  D.'s,  as  libe- 
rally as  that  blessed  man,  Moses,  scattered  L.  L.'s  (lice  and  locusts) 
through  the  land  of  Eg)'pt  .         -         -         -         -         -       119 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Texas  under  a  great  disadvantage,  ever  since  that  savage  battle  of  San 
Jacinto,  from  a  dearth  of  gold  and  gowns  ;  holy  vestments  and  holy 


water ;  the  revolution  having  driven  these  beauties  of  holiness  over 
the  Rio  Grande :  whereas  England,  and  the  United  States,  and 
Mexico,  are  favoured  with  a  great  revival  of  these  comforts,  in  Ox- 
ford, and  Princeton,  and  Saltillo 132 

APPENDIX. 
Proposed  Charter  of   the  Galveston  University,  in  the  Republic   of 
Texas 149 

Charter  and  By-laws  of  a  Church,  according  to  the  Bible,  the  Presbyte- 
rian Constitution,  and  Calvin's  Institutes.     -         -         -         -       156 

Correspondence  between  Dr.  Moriarty  and  others,  in  which  he  declines 
a  discussion  of  Popery  with  W.  L.  M.,  although  he  w^as  understood 
to  have  thrown  the  gauntlet  to  Protestants.  Similar  fact  in  Pitts- 
burgh some  years  ago         .--.-.-       170 

Skeleton  of  Principlts  and  Practices  maintained  by  a  Pastor  who  tried 
to  be  consistent ---176 

Ecclesiastical  Manual   - .-178 


ADVENTURES  IN  TEXAS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Voyage  in  a  schooner.  Its  want  of  cleanliness,  and  comfort.  It  takes 
up  the  Captain  and  crew  of  a  wreck.  A  trial  of  sleeping  en  the 
deck,  the  cabin-floor,  the  locker,  the  state-room,  and  the  steerage. 
Profanity  of  the  Captain  and  crew.  Gale  off  Cape  Hatteras.  An- 
other blow.  Danger  of  suffocation.  Arrival  at  Galveston.  Kind- 
ness of  the  people.  Communion.  Education.  Delightful  and  ad- 
vantageous situation  of  the  city. 

Leaving  a  pleasant  home,  in  a  lovely  city, 
on  a  bleak,  blustering  wintry  day,  my  condi- 
tion was  truly  miserable,  if  it  were  not  for  the 
Christian  religion.  Oh!  what  light  it  gives  in 
darkness!  what  support  in  desolation!  There 
had  been  positive  predictions  of  certain  death, 
if  I  should  sail  in  such  a  vessel,  in  such  a  sea- 
son. These  predictions  were  founded  in  the 
nature  of  things,  and  none  but  an  almighty 
arm  prevented  their  literal  fulfilment.  In  such 
a  voyage,  my  shattered  constitution  may  be 
said  to  have  passed  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death;  and  none  but  the  Resurrec- 
tion and  the  Life  kept  my  soul  and  body  to- 
gether. I  can  never  sufficiently  express  my 
gratitude  to  God,  for  directing  that  my  first 
2 


14 

voyage  should  be  such  as  it  was,  and  that  I 
should  bear  it  alone,  and  especially  without 
having  any  female  under  my  care. 

The  filth  alone,  which  was  with  me  a  minor 
consideration,  would  have  taken  her  life.  This 
part  of  the  war  was  opened  with  the  breaking 
of  two  bottles  of  castor  oil,  poured  abundantly 
over  my  cloak,  and  kept  in  operation,  until 
every  body  and  every  thing  was  sufficiently 
anointed.  Making  bread  was  the  way  to 
clean  the  cook's  hands,  when  they  were  full 
of  black  greasy  dirt.  A  clean  towel  or  table- 
cloth, was  a  matter  that  called  for  three  cheers 
from  the  passengers.  The  captain  cursed  the 
steward  for  losing  two  towels,  which  would 
nearly  have  supported  a  growth  of  vegetation. 
The  defence  of  the  accused  was,  that  he  saw 
the  captain's  pet  hog  running  about  the  deck 
with  one  of  them  in  his  mouth,  and  the  cook 
had  taken  the  other  to  wrap  round  the  bread ! 

To  some,  a  scarcity  of  such  fare  would  not 
have  been  such  an  affliction  as  it  was  to  many 
of  us.  For  a  partial  starvation,  and  an  allow- 
ance of  water  for  awhile,  the  captain  pleaded 
the  length  of  the  voyage,  which  was  his  own 
fault;  and  the  addition  of  the  captain  and  crew 

of  the  ,  of  New  York,  taken  off  of  the 

wreck,  with  some  supplies  which  were  a  help 
to  ours.  Every  one  believed  that  the  wreck 
was  made  to  defraud  the  insurance  company. 

Before  the  arrival  of  the  captain  and  some 


15 

of  the  company,  I  slept  below.  For  five  nights 
of  subsequent  cruel  delay,  I  occupied  my  sleep- 
ing contrivance  on  the  deck,  notwithstanding 
the  wind  and  rain  and  cold.  When  this  be- 
came impossible,  I  occupied  the  floor  of  the 
cabin,  the  locker,  and  the  remote  berth  in  the 
state-room,  which  I  had  engaged.  To  keep  a 
young  friend  from  perishing,  I  gave  up  this 
last,  and  went  for  the  last  few  nights  to  the 
steerage,  which  turned  out  to  be  the  best  quar- 
ters, although,  while  there,  I  did  not  escape  a 
toothache,  which  made  my  face  swell. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  praying  on  board. 
The  captain  and  crew  prayed  regularly  for 
the  damnation  of  every  part  of  the  vessel,  and 
of  every  thing,  and  every  person  connected 
with  it.  There  were  two  Sabbaths  on  which 
Providence  permitted  me  to  preach  twice  a 
day.  Through  the  whole  voyage,  I  was  ex- 
pected, as  the  patriarch  of  the  company,  to 
occupy  the  seat  of  honour  at  the  first  table, 
and  ask  a  blessing:  besides  which,  at  the  dawn 
of  every  day,  except  one,  I  was  enabled,  even 
when  sick,  to  sing  a  hymn. 

About  the  time  of  my  silent  morning,  (silent 
from  exhaustion,)  we  were  near  being  wrecked 
off*  Cape  Hatteras.  The  next  night,  our  cap- 
tain exhibited  an  infatuation  which  some  could 
not  believe  possible.  As  we  were  in  another 
gale,  out  at  sea,  he  appeared  determined  to 
save  his  provisions,  by  making  the  sickness  of 


16 

the  cabin  passengers  deeper  and  more  lasting. 
Under  pretext  of  the  wind  and  rain,  which 
were  excessive,  he  insisted  upon  keeping  the 
gangway  closely  shut,  although  our  stove  was 
full  of  coal,  and  the  gas  was  filling  the  cabin 
in  deadly  quantity.  Seeing  him  inexorable  to 
our  separate  or  united  voice,  it  was  evident 
that  a  hideous  death  by  suffocation  stared  us 
in  the  face.  The  prospect  of  death  is  made 
pleasant  through  the  divine  Redeemer;  but  not 
when  hastened  by  one's  own  instrumentality, 
either  active  or  passive.  I  told  the  passengers 
that  if  I  must  die,  I  preferred,  as  the  scene  of 
my  departure,  the  deck,  with  its  wind  and  rain, 
to  a  dungeon,  with  its  fire  and  gas.  With  a 
glad  prospect  of  a  happy  change,  I  put  on  my 
pilot-coat,  and  my  cap  with  its  straps,  and 
sought  the  bow  of  the  vessel.  Through  igno- 
rance, I  passed  along  the  leeward,  instead  of 
the  windward  side  of  the  vessel,  and  was  within 
a  hair's  breadth  of  being  lifted  over  the  bul- 
warks by  the  gale.  As  it  was,  the  rain  wet 
me  almost  as  much  as  the  sea  would  have 
done:  but  it  gave  me  a  blessed  opportunity  of 
witnessing  God's  wonders  in  the  war  of  the 
elements,  and  the  rolling  of  the  dark  yet  fiery 
ocean.  How  truly  miraculous  is  the  grace 
of  God,  when  unutterably  tender  thoughts  of 
home,  did  not  prevent  me  from  enjoying  the 
present  scene,  and  the  prospect  of  soon  leaving 
it.     The  captain  was  soon  informed  of  the  af- 


17 

fair,  and  saw  plainly  that  the  passengers  would 
hold  him  awfully  responsible  for  the  con- 
sequences. Their  desperation  also  probably 
made  them  utter  menaces,  which  struck  him 
with  a  panic.  He  accordingl}^  relinquished 
his  cruel  determination,  and  I  was  soon  found, 

and  informed  of  the  fact,  by  young  Mr. , 

a  hardy  and  kind-hearted  revolutionary  Texan. 

The  unworthiness  of  the  captain,  was  in 
danger  of  producing  dissatisfaction  with  the 
excellent  Texan  consul  of  the  port  from  which 
we  sailed.  From  our  knowledge  of  that  gen- 
tleman, and  his  transactions,  some  of  us  were 
convinced  of  his  innocence  and  worth,  and 
endeavoured  to  convince  others. 

My  reception  at  Galveston  was  such,  that 
some  have  represented  me  as  thinking  the  citi- 
zens inhospitable.  Painful  indeed  would  it  be 
to  me,  if  they  were  to  believe  such  a  report. 
While  my  breath  lasts,  I  trust  that  my  heart 
will  beat  with  gratitude  to  God,  and  gratitude 
to  them,  for  the  treatment  received  at  their 
hands,  and  at  the  hands  of  their  fellow-citizens 
throughout  the  republic.  There  I  had  the 
grateful  but  unsought  honour  of  administering 
the  first  eucharist  ever  administered  on  the 
island :  several  clergymen  being  present.  The 
Galvestonians  soon  had  a'  meeting  upon  the 
subject  of  education,  and  adopted  a  plan,  which 
may  be  found  in  our  Appendix,  No.  1.  Preju- 
dices against  Galveston  prevail  through  much 
2* 


18 

of  the  country.  Some  say  that  it  will  perish 
by  inundation,  some  by  conflagration,  some  by 
pestilence.  My  limits  do  not  allow  me  to  enter 
upon  this  discussion.  Let  me  only  say,  that  to 
me  it  w^ould  be  a  source  of  everlasting  thank- 
fulness, if  God  would  permit  me  to  spend  my 
days  in  a  place  which  a  mistaken  fancy  has 
so  dreadfully  doomed. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Galveston  Bay,  and  the  City  of  Houston.  Commence  the  tour  of 
Texas  alone,  on  an  Indian  pony.  The  animal  escapes,  and  leaves 
the  traveller  to  carry  his  baggage  through  the  mud,  during  the  after- 
noon, and  lodge,  dinnerless  and  suppi-rless  in  a  tree,  during  the 
night.  Hardly  any  fatigue  or  weakness,  but  great  comfort  and  en- 
joymt-nt.     Pony  recovered. 

Leaving  Galveston,  I  enjoyed  for  a  season 
the  hospitality  of  the  bay,  and  the  city  of  Hous- 
ton, the  former  seat  of  government.  Here, 
consulting  my  moderate  purse,  I  purchased 
and  mounted  a  poor  little  ugly  worthless  In- 
dian mare,  and  proceeded,  in  high  style,  to 
*take  the  tour  of  Texas.  Inferring,  correctly, 
that  she  could  swim,  I  was  preparing  to  try  her 
powers  in  this  duty,  at  New- Year's  Creek,  in 
such  a  way  as  might  keep  my  clothes  and  bag- 
gage dry.  A  pedestrian  stranger  persuaded 
me  to  drive  her  across,  and  to  take  my  bag- 


19 


gage  over  a  rough  log  bridge,  which  he  had 
just  discovered  above.  He  tried  in  vain  to 
catch  her  as  she  landed;  and  I  refused  to  tax 
his  kindness,  by  retarding  his  journey,  and  was 
thus  left  to  manage  the  matter  alone.  For  a 
couple  of  miles,  I  tried  stratagems  and  foot- 
races; but  finding  the  little  Indian  too  cunning 
and  too  fleet  for  me,  I  returned  to  the  creek, 
and  corded  into  one  pack,  my  saddle,  bridle 
and  blankets,  saddle-bags,  great  coat  and  um- 
brella, loaded  whip,  short-sword,  and  sundries. 
I  was  now  about  to  encounter  a  degree  of 
fatigue,  which  an  intelligent  Houstonian  had 
lately  told  me,  was  the  cause  of  speedy  death 
to  many  emigrants  in  Texas.  It  became  me, 
therefore,  to  take  a  nearer  view  of  that,  which 
in  a  more  distant  prospect,  had  been  so  accep- 
table. Committing  my  cause  and  myself,  and 
my  loved  ones,  to  God  our  Saviour,  and  shoul- 
dering my  pack,  I  co  nmenced  my  march,  with 
a  psalm  and  tune,  lately  learned  in  the  island. 
My  road  lay  through  an  alternation  of  small 
savannas,  and  deep,  dark,  miry  Brasos  bot- 
toms, kept  wet  with  a  shade  of  timber,  and  an 
impenetrable  clothes-tearing  undergrowth ;  to 
which  I  would  sometimes  vainly  fly  for  relief 
from  the  mud,  and  be  driven  back  the  next 
moment  to  the  mire,  as  the  least  of  two  evils. 
A  gentleman  on  the  Bay,  had  presented  me 
with  a  nice  little  leathern  cup,  with  which  I 
occasionally  slaked  my  thirst,  from  the  abun- 


20 

dant  rain  water  settled  in  the  road.  March- 
ing and  binding,  and  re-binding,  modelling  and 
re-modelling  my  pack,  with  tedious  and  busy 
stratagems  to  catch  the  runaway,  occupied 
the  latter  half  of  the  day,  at  the  end  of  which 
I  found  myself  crossing  another  Httle  prairie, 
and  peeping  into  the  mouth  of  another  Brasos 
bottom,  which,  to  one  in  my  circumstances, 
was  too  much  like  a  den  of  death,  for  me  to 
enter  it  with  a  good  conscience.  For  my 
accommodation  through  the  night,  I  chose  a 
residence  resembling  that  of  an  ancient  pro- 
phetess, who  "dwelt  under  the  palm-tree  of 
Deborah,  between  Ramah  and  Bethel"  She 
chose  the  basement  story,  which,  in  my  loca- 
tion, would  have  been  rather  damp,  and  sub- 
jected me,  moreover,  to  be  dispossessed  by 
prior  claimants. 

Travellers  had  told  me,  in  Galveston,  that 
in  passing  through  the  rattle-snake  and  tiger 
country  of  San  Antonio,  they  had  lodged  in 
the  trees,  in  a  travelling  hammock,  fastened  to 
the  boughs  by  the  four  corners.  It  is  a  little 
amusing,  that  thus  furnished,  they  could  not 
secure  themselves  better;  for  the  corner  of  one 
hammock  had  given  way,  and  discharged  the 
sleeper  upon  his  feet ;  and  the  faithless  fasten- 
ing of  another  had  emptied  its  tenant  upon  his 
head  and  shoulders.  Cautioned  by  the  mis- 
haps of  others,  far  better  accommodated  than 
myself,  I  ascended  the  tree,  and  drew  up  my. 


21 

worldly  wealth  by  cords  previously  arranged. 
These  cords  and  straps  served  to  connect  two 
boughs,  so  situated  as  to  answer  for  the  sides 
of  my  bedstead.  After  a  proper  adjustment 
of  clothes  and  saddle-blankets,  I  renewedly 
committed  myself  to  the  God  of  Bethel,  be- 
sought him  to  bless  the  dear  ones  at  home,  and 
to  give  success  to  my  undertaking,  with  the 
people  and  with  Congress,  so  that  the  latter 
should  not  expunge  his  all-precious  name  from 
our  charter,  as  a  wealthy  citizen  of  Galveston 
had  threatened  that  they  should.  With  the 
hymn,  "On  Jordan's  stormy  banks  I  stand,"  I 
lay  down  softly  and  safely.  I  always  wake  two 
or  three  times  in  the  night;  and,  on  this  occa- 
sion, my  first  awaking  found  my  knees  and  feet 
very  cold,  and  a  stitch  in  my  side.  Experience 
had  taught  me,  that  to  go  to  sleep  without  a 
removal  of  these  evils,  was  very  dangerous. 
Through  the  favour  of  Heaven,  these  symp- 
toms were  soon  removed  by  standing  up  in 
the  tree,  more  closely  wrapped  than  I  had 
been  when  lying.  I  then  sat  on  a  bough,  and 
leaned  against  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  took 
a  second  nap;  after  which,  I  lay  down  again 
in  my  bed,  with  more  careful  wrapping  than, 
before,  and  slept  until  after  sunrise. 

Travellers  are  sometimes  discouraged  from 
penetrating  a  new  country,  by  such  occurren- 
ces, at  the  commencement  of  their  journey. 
They  cannot  bear  the  mud  of  the  Brasos,  and 


22 

Ihey  sometimes  refuse  to  come  farther  than 
the  city  of  Houston,  because  the  streets  are 
muddy.  Such  travellers  remind  me  of  the 
character  given  to  the  people  of  Lower  Ca- 
nada, by  one  of  their  own  fellow-subjects,  a 
gentleman  from  England.  We  were  com- 
mencing a  ride  from  St.  John's,  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  toward  Montreal  and  Quebec.  "Now,"  . 
said  the  Englishman,  "  we  are  beginning  to 
travel  among  a  people  who  pull  down  their 
barns,  to  get  clear  of  the  manure."  To  my 
certain  knowledge,  the  mud  of  Houston  does 
not  exceed  the  mud  of  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
when  it  was  of  the  same  age. 

When  loaded  with  my  pack,  and  wading 
through  the  mire  of  the  Brasos  bottoms,  I 
sometimes  came  to  a  stand,  not  exactly  know- 
ing whether  I  should  sink  or  swim  in  the  road 
before  me.  I  will  ask  the  liberty  of  here  re- 
cording the  substance  of  some  of  my  soliloquies 
on  such  occasions.  Looking  at  the  rich  soil, 
the  superior  of  which  I  never  saw,  I  would 
say,  "  Is  this  the  country  which  a  Spanish 
writer  says  is  not  worth  conquering?  Is  this 
the  country  to  repel  the  traveller?  This  is  my 
darling  Kentucky  over  again.  Gladly  would 
the  industrious  enterprise  of  New  England  and 
New  Jersey,  exchange  their  rocks  and  sands 
for  the  rejected  manure  of  Canada,  and  the 
mud  of  Kentucky  and  Texas.  In  the  floun- 
dering operations  of  days  long  past,  I  never 


23 

encountered  mud  too  deep  for  the  God  of 
Moses  to  draw  me  out  of  it."  Thus  saying,  I 
would  dash  through,  with  a  consciousness  of 
the  renovated  vigour  and  activity  of  youth. 

Between  the  Rio  Guadelupe  and  the  Salado, 
toward  Bexar,  I  afterward  saw  the  nest  of  an 
eagle,  on  a  tree  not  higher  than  my  roost  on 
the  Brasos.  In  my  spirited  walk  through  the 
day,  without  dinner,  and  my  lofty  perch  at 
night,  without  supper,  I  gave  full  credit  to  the 
God  of  Isaiah,  for  the  fulfilment  of  such  pro- 
mises as  the  following:  "He  giveth  power  to 
the  faint,  and  to  them  that  have  no  might,  he 
increaseth  strength.  Even  the  youths  shall 
faint  and  be  weary,  and  the  young  men  shall 
utterly  fall:  but  they  that  wait  upon  the  Lord 
shall  renew  their  strength:  they  shall  mount 
up  with  wings  as  eagles:  they  shall  run  and 
not  be  weary;  and  they  shall  walk  and  not 
faint." 

During  the  previous  night,  I  had  slept  in  a 
bed  with  curtains,  and  in  a  safe  house,  while 
it  was  assailed  by  a  tremendous  norther,  and 
a  heavy  rain.  Now,  that  I  was  exposed  in  a 
tree,  with  Spanish  moss  for  curtains,  the  air 
was  bland,  and  the  moon  beautiful,  and  all 
nature  seemed  to  be  resting,  as  the  traveller 
reposed,  under  the  smiles  of  the  God  of  Bethel. 

A  counterfeit  comfort  is  sometimes  enjoyed 
through  the  day,  the  fallacy  of  which  is  ex- 
posed in  the  moment  of  awaking,  during  the 


24 

night.  Then  the  trouble  which  had  been  kept 
at  bay  by  an  artificial  excitement,  enters  the 
heart  in  triumph,  and  revels  in  its  writhing 
agony.  For  this  I  looked  at  the  close  of  each 
season  of  slumber,  and  thrice  did  I  find  the 
citadel  in  peace  and  safety,  in  the  keeping  of 
a  triune  guard,  who  waited  to  smile  and  whis- 
per words  of  truth  and  love. 

It  is  wonderful  to  see  what  a  new  face  is 
put  upon  every  thing,  by  faith  in  a  dying, 
rising  Jesus.  In  situations  the  most  unlikely, 
God  sometimes  condescends  to  be  so  sensibly 
and  powerfully  present  with  the  soul,  as  its 
satisfying  portion,  that  a  wilderness  is  turned 
into  a  paradise,  danger  into  safety,  and  trouble 
into  comfort.  So  completely  did  the  joy  of 
the  Lord  remove  from  my  naturally  timid 
heart  all  feeling  of  fear  or  vexation,  that  I  felt 
then,  and  I  feel  now,  that  the  attempt  of  a  bear 
or  a  panther  to  chmb  after  me,  would  only 
have  added  to  the  beauty  and  entertainment 
of  the  adventure.  I  was  more  than  willing  to 
die:  but  such  a  happ}^  issue  I  could  not  expect 
from  such  an  assault,  while  my  conscience 
binds  to  self-defence  against  man  or  beast.  I 
felt  certain,  that  He  who  had,  through  the  toil 
of  the  day,  made  my  feet  like  hinds'  feet,  could, 
in  the  danger  of  the  night,  make  my  hand  like 
David's  hand. 

Providence  caused  a  dear  kind  Texan,  after 
a  long  search,  to  recover  my  pony. 


25 


CHAPTER  III. 

An  apprenticeship  of  a  couple  of  days,  to  a  veteran  Texan  traveller 
from  Kentucky,  to  learn  the  mysteries  of  wilderness  journeying.— 
Lodge  in  the  open  air  near  some  wagoners,  who,  with  their  wagons 
and  oxen,  had  just  crossed  a  deep  bayou  by  swimming.— Joined  in 
worship,  and  showed  great  kindness.— Roused  from  slumber  by  rain 
falling  in  the  face.— Narrowly  escaped  submersion  in  ci'ossing  the 
bayou  on  a  tree  thrown  over  it. 

On  the  ridge  which  separates  the  waters  of 
the  Brasos  and  the  Colorado,  I  fell  in  with  a 
Kentuckian,  who  had  now  been  a  Texan  for 
nnany  years,  who  lived  nnuch  on  horseback, 
and  for  the  sake  of  liberty  and  economy,  pre- 
ferred the  primitive  way  of  journeying,  by 
waiting  upon  himself,  and  lodging  under  the 
trees.  As  my  purse  also  required  economy,  I 
asked  leave  to  take  the  place  of  an  apprentice, 
to  learn  all  the  lawful  mysteries  of  wilderness 
travelling.  Of  course  we  cooked  our  dinner 
where  we  could  find  shade  and  water.  On 
our  second  day  we  came  again  to  a  combina- 
tion of  these  comforts  near  the  setting  of  the 
sun.  We  were  then  on  the  west  of  the  Colo- 
rado, and  a  bayou  was  before  us,  about  ten 
feet  deep,  in  consequence  of  a  late  rise  in  the 
river.  Empty  wagons,  from  Austin,  drawn 
by  oxen,  and  driven  by  sturdy  Texans,  had 
just  crossed  to  our  side  by  swimming.  Al- 
though the  Mexicans  are  considered  timid,  I 
have  seen  drivers  of  that  nation  perform  a  si- 
3 


26 

milar  exploit  in  crossing  the  Guadelupe  river. 
When  we  had  heard  from  the  men  the  depth 
of  the  bayou,  my  Kentuckian,  to  feel  my  pulse, 
asked  me  what  w^as  to  be  done.  I  readily  pro- 
posed swimming  He  preferred  another  plan  ; 
to  which  I  at  once  assented. 

After  the  wagoners  had  chosen  their  camp- 
ing ground  we  chose  ours,  where  we  ate  our 
bread  and  meat  with  cold  water  mixed  with 
sugar,  to  save  the  time  of  kindling  a  fire  for 
coffee.  The  wagoners  then,  by  invitation,  ga- 
thered around  our  tree,  where  I  led  in  a  psalm 
and  a  prayer.  One  of  them  confessed  that 
they  were  a  wild,  wicked  set ;  but  their  reve- 
rent behaviour  during  worship  formed  a  strik- 
ing contrast  to  the  conduct  of  a  dozen  Mexi- 
cans on  the  Sevilla  creek  in  my  subsequent 
journeying.  After  worship  my  congregation 
retired  to  their  fire,  where  the  youngest  of  their 
number  had  been  left  to  see  that  the  supper 
was  not  spoiled.  My  companion  went  with 
them  to  enjoy  a  little  of  that  gossip  in  which 
travellers  from  different  quarters  are  disposed 
to  indulge.  As  there  was  no  dew  that  night 
I  spread  my  blanket  beyond  the  shade  of  the 
tree,  to  have  a  fairer  view  of  the  heavens,  while 
I  indulged  in  the  luxury  of  another  hymn. 
One  of  the  wagoners  drew  near,  and  stood 
unobserved,  as  fm  imagined,  until  I  was  done. 
He  came  with  a  kind  invitation  to  me  to  regale 
myself  with  a  cup  of  their  hot  coffee. 


27 


I  was  roused  in  the  night  by  the  rain  falling 
in  my  face.  My  Kentuckian  and  the  wagon- 
ers favoured  me  in  getting  shelter.  The  in- 
vitation to  coffee  was  repeated  in  the  morning ; 
after  which  one  of  them  lent  us  his  axe  and 
his  services  to  cut  down  a  tree  across  a  part 
of  the  bayou  higher  up;  over  which  we  took 
our  baggage,  after  having  driven  our  horses 
over,  to  be  caught  and  fastened  by  this  obliging 
stranger.  On  this  occasion,  as  in  the  crossing 
of  New-year's  creek,  I  had  a  hair-breadth 
escape  from  being  submersed.  I  had  taken 
the  more  dangerous  duty  in  crossing,  to  re- 
quite my  Kentuckian  for  his  kindness. 

The  reason  of  my  having  no  trouble  about 
the  catching  of  my  pony,  was  that  during  the 
day  I  had  purchased  a  lariat  from  a  Mexican. 
It  was  thirty  feet  long;  and  as  it  was  left  fas- 
tened to  the  neck,  a  person  taking  up  the  drag- 
ging end  secured  the  animal.  The  wagoner 
who  caught  it,  and  who  cut  down  our  tree,  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  long  after  on  the 
Navidad, 


38 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Walk  after  the  pony  twenty  miles.  A  frontier  dwelling.  A  ride  by 
the  conij)ass.  Obliged  to  camp  out.  Symptom  of  the  approacli  of 
Indians  or  wild  beasts.  Arrival  at  Austin,  and  preaching  without 
offence,  against  sins  which  it  is  not  lawful  to  mention  in  some  Pres- 
byterian congregations  in  the  United  States,  for  fear  of  being  consi- 
dered personal.  Kindness  of  the  cabinet.  God's  blessing  regularly 
asked  by  the  landlord  or  some  other,  at  the  meals  of  the  chief  hotel 
in  this  capital  of  Texas  I 

A  FEW  miles  below  Bastrop,  but  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river,  my  companion  had  a  friend 
to  whose  house  he  took  me.  A  late  fever  had 
been  followed  with  boils  as  usual  in  that  coun- 
try, and  I  was  then  troubled  with  one  which 
was  becoming  aggravated  by  the  necessity  of 
gripping  the  saddle  with  the  knee.  With  con- 
fidence in  God  I  prayed,  in  the  name  of  Christ 
the  divine  Redeemer,  that  he  would  either 
cause  my  host  to  invite  me  to  rest,  or  that  I 
might  be  enabled  to  ride  or  walk.  The  last 
alternative  was  granted,  and  after  a  walk  of 
twenty  miles,  I  lodged  in  a  truly  hospitable 
dwelling  made  of  split  logs  with  the  ends  stuck 
in  the  ground.  Between  this  and  the  Caman- 
chee  Indians  there  was  no  other  white  family. 

The  next  morning  I  rode  five  miles,  guided 
by  the  compass,  and  fell  into  a  promised  road 
which  brought  me  in  sight  of  the  president's 
house  in  Austin,  about  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon. As  the  river  was  between  us,  I  endea- 
voured to  find  a  crossing.     In  pursuit  of  this 


29 

very  desirable  object  I  crossed  streams,  climb- 
ed hills,  traced  paths,  breasted  ravines  and 
obstructions,  and  penetrated  thickets  until  dark ; 
when  it  became  necessary  to  camp  out.  Pro- 
vidence brought  me  to  a  very  suitable  spot, 
where  there  was  an  abundance  of  wood  for 
keeping  up  a  large  fire  during  a  cold  night. 

My  zeal  for  avoiding  such  a  situation  had 
prevented  me  from  stopping  for  dinner,  and 
therefore  occasioned  a  more  abundant  supper 
of  bread  and  meat;  with  which  the  God  of 
Jacob,  the  best  guide  and  protector,  seemed 
to  give  his  blessing.  Pony  and  I  had  drunk  a 
mile  or  two  back,  and  although  my  encamp- 
ment did  not  afford  water  for  coffee,  it  was 
very  fine  for  pasture.  Trees  were  scattered 
through  the  grass,  at  a  distance  from  each 
other,  so  that  when  the  horse  was  hitched  to 
one  of  them,  it  had  a  free  range  for  thirty  feet 
in  every  direction.  To  give  it  every  advan- 
tage I  generally  changed  the  tree  before  going 
to  bed,  and  after  my  first  and  second  naps 
through  the  night.  On  going  out  for  that  pur- 
pose, before  lying  down  this  evening,  the  pony 
lifted  its  head  quickly,  and  while  standing 
stock  still,  looked  intensely  at  one  of  the  two 
thickets,  between  which  my  fire  was  kindled. 
I  knew  the  sagacity  which  the  animal  had  ac- 
quired from  its  Indian  education;  and  I  also 
stood  and  listened,  until  a  stick  was  plainly 
heard  to  crack,  as  if  under  a  cautious  foot. 
3# 


80 

In  a  moment  I  remembered  the  case  of  a  bro- 
ther Kentuckian  whose  life  was  saved  in  the 
first  settlement  of  that  country,  by  regarding 
that  sign  of  approaching  Indians.  I  also  re- 
membered the  earnest  remonstrance  of  Gene- 
ral Houston  and  others  against  my  coming  to 
Austin,  especially  alone,  so  soon  after  Indians 
had  entered  it  at  night,  killed  and  scalped  two 
white  men,  and  stolen  fifty  or  sixty  horses. 

My  regular  course  was  to  saddle  and  mount, 
and  seek  a  distant  seclusion,  without  fire.  But 
the  attempt  might  be  fatal,  and  even  success 
might  be  so,  on  account  of  the  coldness  of  the 
night,  and  my  liability  to  suffer  by  chill,  or 
cold,  or  toothache,  or  rheumatism. 

If  Indians  were  there,  they  must  view  my 
very  large  fire  as  an  indication  of  stupid  rash- 
ness, or  an  attempt  to  entrap  them.  In  self- 
defence  I  endeavoured  to  encourage  the  latter 
conclusion.  As  they  would  watch  and  inter- 
pret every  movement,  I  strutted  up  to  the  op- 
posite thicket,  and  said,  as  if  to  an  ambuscade, 
"  Now,  boys,  keep  a  good  look-out  to  night ; 
and  take  unerring  aim  at  every  villain  that 
shows  his  face."  After  this  I  stalked  to  my 
blanket  with  the  confidence  of  a  chief  who 
believes  that  his  guard  will  do  their  duty. 

Jonah,  under  his  gourd,  and  Elijah,  under 
the  juniper-tree,  have  long  been  great  blessings 
to  me.  Through  grace  I  try  to  shun  quarrel- 
ing with   my  Maker,  and  to  avoid  rebellious 


31 

longings  after  an  escape  fit)m  this  life,  and  also 
all  sinful  neglect  of  the  means  of  safety.  In 
my  circumstances,  watching  all  night  to  guard 
against  an  uncertain  danger,  would  produce  a 
certain  evil.  My  conscience,  therefore,  per- 
mitted me  to  lie  down  and  sleep,  not  knowing 
in  which  world  I  might  awake. 

On  that  night,  as  on  many  others,  I  was  in 
that  state  of  mind  which  the  world  considers 
insane  superstition.  I  was  in  circumstances 
in  which  General  Houston  himself  would  have 
apprehended,  though  without  fearing,  an  un- 
seen enemy :  yet  my  mind  was  graciously 
clothed  with  a  solemn  composure ;  with  an 
assured  conviction  that  the  Captain  of  the  host 
of  Israel  stood  by  me;  and  that  he  would 
either  mercifully  preserve  my  life,  or  take  me 
to  a  better  life,  through  his  atoning  blood,  his 
imputed  righteousness,  and  his  regenerating 
Spirit. 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath ;  and  I  ar- 
rived at  Austin  about  11  o'clock,  dismounted 
at  the  place  of  meeting,  and,  as  they  had  no 
other  preacher,  gave  them  a  discourse  then, 
and  another  after  dinner.  I  prayed  for  mur- 
derers, adulterers,  swearers,  liars,  sabbath- 
breakers,  gamblers,  and  drunkards;  and  testi- 
fied against  such  characters;  but  invited  them 
to  come,  and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
My  host  was  at  the  head  of  their  best  hotel. 
He  approved  of  my  sermons,  and  was  not 


32 

aware  of  their  bein^  unacceptable  or  offensive 
to  others.  The  Vice  President  and  lady  were 
among  my  hearers,  and  the  whole  cabinet 
showed  me  kindness.  The  Secretary  of  State, 
and  other  high  officers,  boarded  with  my  land- 
lord, and  their  deportment  was  such  as  might 
be  expected  at  a  table  where  the  blessing  of 
God  is  invoked  by  the  pious  proprietor,  or 
some  other  suitable  person !  A  strange^  fact 
for  a  place  of  which  so  many  hard  things  are 
said. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Encamp  alone  on  leaving*  Austin.  Travel  with  a  detachment  of  Texan 
mounted  Men.  Adventure  with  a  Mexican  horse  who  was  for  all 
doctrine  and  no  practice.  Drenched  with  a  nocturnal  tempest ;  in 
which  permitted  to  siag.     A  taste  of  militai'y  service. 

From  Austin  I  desired  to  visit  Bexar  and 
Goliad :  even  if  I  should  travel  by  the  com- 
pass much  of  the  way.  Evil  things  were  fore- 
told of  any  one  who  should  expose  himself 
alone  in  a  region  so  watched  by  the  Caman- 
chees.  To  avert  this  danger,  a  part  of  the 
way,  I  was  advised  to  travel  with  a  company 
of  Texan  regulars,  and  another  of  volunteers, 
all  mounted,  soon  to  leave  Austin  in  that  di- 
rection. The  President  was  so  kind  as  to  give 
me  in  charge  to  the  commander  of  the  de- 


33 

tachment,  and  he  introduced  me  favourably  to 
the  other  officers.  Perceiving  a  symptom  of 
a  rapid  march,  a  little  management  seemed 
necessary  in  favour  of  my  poor  little  Indian 
to  keep  it  from  giving  out.  We  crossed  the 
river  near  tow^n  in  the  evening,  and  the  troops 
encamped  on  the  bank,  under  the  hill.  I  w^ent 
up  the  river,  climbed  the  hill,  entered  the  prai- 
rie, and  built  a  good  fire  on  a  skirt  of  timber, 
where  I  again  enjoyed  in  sweet  soUtude  the 
society  of  Him  who  dwelt  in  the  bush. 

After  breakfast  an  armed  horseman,  in  a 
complete  suit  of  buckskin,  approached  my  fire. 
I  called  to  inquire  if  the  troops  were  in  motion, 
informing  him  that  I  was  considered  one  of 
the  party.  "  Humph,"  said  he,  with  some 
vexation,  "I  came  to  discover  the  origin  of 
that  smoke.  Do  you  not  see  them  yonder  in 
the  prairie?"  They  had  gone  around  me, 
and  my  view  had  been  obstructed  by  the  trees 
which  had  sheltered  me.  I  advanced  a  few 
steps  and  beheld  the  lovely  sight,  only  a  mile 
ahead.  With  my  fresh  animal  I  overtook  them 
at  leisure. 

In  Austin  I  had  been  introduced  to  a  volun- 
teer who  was  exceedingly  pleased  with  his 
horse,  and  thought  him  the  best  on  the  ground. 
He  then  reared  and  pitched  as  if  he  longed  to 
charge  the  enemy.  On  this  first  day  of  the 
journey,  his  spirit  and  strength  failed  so  fast 
that  his  mortified  rider  was  permitted  to  fall 


34 

back  and  try  what  means  he  could  to  keep 
him  from  utterly  sinking. 

A  subaltern  persuaded  him  that  when  passed 
by  the  rear  guard  and  all,  he  would  still  be 
picked  up  by  a  few  who  were  to  leave  Austin 
after  us,  expecting  soon  to  overtake  us.  This 
hope  appeared  blighted  by  intelligence,  provi- 
dentially received,  that  a  few  miles  behind  us, 
horses  were  seen  at  full  speed  in  the  prairie, 
with  bridles  and  saddles,  but  no  riders.  Vul- 
tures w^ere  sometimes  seen  hovering  near  us, 
as  if  saying,  "  The  Camanchees,  in  whose 
wake  we  always  sail,  are  near."  He  was  left 
by  every  one  but  myself;  and  repeatedly  inti- 
mated that  I  also  ought  to  leave  him,  and  con- 
sult my  own  safet}^,  and  that  of  my  pony, 
which  was  likely  to  be  heavily  taxed  in  pulling 

his  horse  along.     At  last  I  said,  "  Mr.  R , 

I  wish  you  to  be  at  ease  on  that  subject ;  my 
mind  is  made  up  :  I  cannot  leave  you.  If  the 
Camanchees  take  you,  they  take  me  also.  I 
am  with  you,  sir,  for  life  or  death."  We  then 
took  it  in  turns ;  one  of  us  riding  my  pony  and 
leading  his,  and  the  other  walking  and  whip- 
ping his  along. 

He  was  a  man  ordinarily  given  to  hard 
words;  and  the  insensibility  and  stubbornness 
of  his  Mexican  horse  would  sometimes  swell 
his  anger  to  the  bursting  point,  and  rather  than 
hurt  my  feelings  he  w^ould  explode  with — 
"  Bless  the  horse."  It  reminded  me  of  a  prayer 


35 

sometimes  uttered  with  a  similar  spirit,  in  be- 
half of  my  being  in  Abraham's  bosom. 

God  would  not  let  us  die,  and  we  arrived  in 
camp  by  night-fall.  My  companion  called  out 
to  his  friends,  and  said,  "  There  is  the  man 
who  said  that  he  was  with  me  for  life  or 
death."  I  declined  very  thankfully  an  invita- 
tion to  take  shelter  under  a  blanket  tent  with 
some  others,  and  made  my  bed  under  a  tree. 
We  were  roused  by  a  pitiless  storm  of  thunder 
and  lightning,  wind  and  rain.  I  walked  out, 
as  usual,  to  see  after  my  pony,  and  was  soon 
wet  to  the  skin,  so  that  my  boots  began  to  fill. 
When  I  returned  I  stood  by  a  gentleman 
whom  I  took  for  an  officer ;  and  asked  him  if 
in  such  an  uproar  of  the  elements  there  would 
be  any  thing  contrary  to  order  in  singing  a 
hymn.  He  thought  not.  I  then,  with  real  hap- 
piness, sang,  to  the  tune  of  Captain  Kid,  the 
following  words. 

**  In  this  whole  world  below, 

^11  around, 

To  its  bound, 
Through  hill  and  valley  too, 

God  is  found. 
The  growing  of  the  corn, 
The  lily  and  the  thorn, 
The  pleasant  and  forlorn, 

All  declare, 

God  is  there, 
In  prairies  drest  in  green, 

God  is  seen." 

Before  bed-time  I  had  reported  myself  to 


36 

the  sergeant-major  of  the  volunteers,  as  an 
applicant  for  the  honour  of  performing  mihlary 
duty  in  his  corps,  during  the  remainder  of  our 
short  acquaintance.  He  lent  me  his  rifle  and 
accoutrements,  and  placed  me  on  the  rear 
guard  in  the  morning.  One  of  my  comrades 
reminded  him  that  such  service  during  the 
day  exempted  him  from  standing  as  a  sentinel 
at  night.  I  solicited  that  it  might  not  so  ex- 
empt me ;  and  requested  that  if  he  had  confi- 
dence in  me  he  would  give  me  that  v^atch  and 
that  post  where  the  grip  was.  Said  he,  "  I  ob- 
serve that  you  are  aware  that  the  post  of  dan- 
ger is  the  post  of  honour:  but  you  shall  be 
gratified."  I  cordially  thanked  him,  and  was 
afterward  informed  that  he  was  as  good  as  his 
word,  in  assigning  me  places  where  it  was 
expected  that  the  attack  would  be  made  if 
the  enemy  came. 


37 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Leave  the  ai-my  at  Bexar  to  travel  alone  to  Goliad.  Warned  against 
the  attempt,  as  fraught  with  danger.  Camanchees  pursuing  a  Mex- 
ican on  the  road.  Travel  with  twelve  Mexican  Indians  who  had  nine 
ox  carts.  Leave  them  at  bed-time,  and  take  shelter  in  a  remote  island 
of  timber  during  a  violent  storm  and  the  i*emainder  of  the  night. 
Pass  them  in  the  morning.  Ovei-taken  by  two  of  them,  when  stop- 
ping for  dinner.  Ovei'take  five  others  who  had  passed  in  the  morn- 
ing. Found  that  a  sei-mon  against  Popei-y,  fandangos  and  horse- 
stealing would  be  considered  rather  personal.  Pony  saved  by  a  ruse 
the  first  night,  and  lost  the  next  night  by  a  moment's  neglect. 

Citizens  and  soldiers,  officers  and  men,  ap- 
peared to  agree  that  a  more  dangerous  road 
still,  was  that  which  lay  before  me,  from  Bex- 
ar to  Goliad.  Yet  that  road  I  felt  myself 
bound  to  try,  without  waiting  for  company. 
On  leaving  Bexar  I  met  a  couple  of  American 
Texans,  who  said,  that  such  an  undertaking 
without  company,  and  with  no  weapon  but  my 
short  sword,  required  strong  faith. 

My  first  stop  was  at  a  Mexican's,  after  a 
ride  of  eighteen  miles.  There  I  was  informed 
that  only  an  hour  before  my  arrival,  two  Ca- 
manchees, on  fleet  American  horses,  no  doubt 
stolen,  had  pursued  a  Mexican  to  the  house  of 
a  neighbouring  Mexican,  and  would  certainly 
have  destroyed  him  if  his  refuge  had  been  a 
little  more  remote.  Moreover,  a  party  of  these 
daring  Indians  had,  the  day  before,  taken  off 
about  fifty  or  sixty  horses  from  the  neighbour- 
hood, forty  of  which  were  from  one  caballado, 
their  word  for  herd  of  horses.  I  was  told  that 
4 


SS  vi.-  ■"* 

since  the  late  slaughter  of  their  chiefs,  who 
attacked  the  Texans  in  the  talk  at  Bexar,  they 
were  determined  to  take  life  wherever  they 
could.  Yet  if  I  must  go,  my  host  advised  me 
to  seek  the  protection  of  a  party  of  Mexicans 
ahead  of  me,  who  were  going  with  wagons  to 
the  bay  of  La  Bacca  for  goods.  My  prayers, 
reasonings,  conclusions,  and  determinations 
are  recorded  above. 

The  next  day  I  called  and  inquired  at  the 
house  to  which  the  Mexican  was  said  to  have 
been  chased,  and  found  the  thing  involved  in 
some  mystery.  I  then  rode  thirty-three  miles, 
and  overtook  and  encamped  with  the  above- 
mentioned  party,  on  the  Sevilla  creek,  on 
which  Patton's  rancho  was  soon  after  attacked 
by  Indians.  Mine  were  all  Mexican  Indians  ; 
only  one  speaking  English.  During  the  heat 
of  the  next  day  they  rested  five  or  six  hours, 
and  continued  their  evening  drive  until  nine 
o'clock,  during  a  long  increase  of  thunder  and 
lightning.  When  w^e  stopped  it  was  evident 
that  an  overwhelming  fall  of  rain  was  just  at 
hand.  I  therefore  called  to  the  interpreter, 
and  requested  that  he  would  see  if  I  could  not 
get  possession  of  one  of  the  empty  carts,  of 
which  there  were  nine  to  their  twelve  men. 
He  had  expected  such  an  application,  and  was 
prepared  with  bitterness  to  interrupt  and  si- 
lence me.  As  if  1  had  not  heard  him,  I  began 
my  question  again;  and  was  interrupted  more 
abruptly   and    unkindly   than    before.     With- 


39 

drawing  silently  to  some  groves  remote  enough 
for  complete  retirement,  I  selected  one,  on  the 
far  side  of  which  I  hitched  my  pony  to  a  tree, 
around  which  to  feed  abundantly  at  the  end  of 
a  thirty  foot  lariat,  a  valuable  article,  with  the 
use  of  which,  pony  and  I,  now  become  vete- 
ran cam/pers,  were  well  acquainted.  Just  as  I 
had  gathered  every  thing  under  a  tree,  and 
spread  my  umbrella,  the  aqueducts  on  high 
were  opened  with  power :  but  I  knew  that  a 
friend  stood  at  the  floodgate.  I  welcomed  the 
thunder  as  the  voice  of  a  Father,  and  the 
lightning  as  streaming  from  the  chariot  wheels 
of  a  Saviour.  After  the  shower  I  got  a  cold 
supper  out  of  my  saddle-bags,  and  slept  well. 

When  I  was  equipped  the  next  morning, 
five  mounted  Indians  appeared  on  the  road, 
inclining  towards  me.  For  me  to  attempt  to 
fly  from  such  an  enemy  would  have  been  pre- 
posterous. I  therefore  stood  cross-legged, 
carelessly  leaning  against  the  pony,  until  I 
saw  their  intention  to  keep  the  road  which 
was  some  distance  from  me;  and  then  we  ex- 
changed salutations  with  a  wave  of  the  hand. 

The  wagoners  set  ofl*  much  earlier  than  I; 
and  after  some  miles  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
giving  each  of  them  a  smiling  salutation  as  I 
passed.  I  was  particularly  courteous  to  their 
commander,  who  made  no  other  return  but  a 
steady  look  of  ferocity,  which  it  is  hard  for 
any  but  an  Indian  to  equal. 


40 

About  noon  I  came  to  shade  and  water  suit- 
able for  dinner.  From  the  level  of  the  prairie 
there  was  an  abrupt  descent  to  a  second  bank, 
and  thence  a  similar  one  to  a  small  but  deep 
pool,  probably  fed  at  the  bottom  by  a  spring. 
Preparing  to  make  a  fire  on  the  second  bank, 
I  heard  human  voices  aloft,  and  on  looking  up, 
saw  a  couple  of  Indians  which  I  soon  recog- 
nized as  belonging  to  the  wagoners,  and  im- 
mediately beckoned  them  to  come  down.  The 
caravan  had  only  two  horses,  which  they  kept 
hitched  to  the  tails  of  the  carts,  which  were 
altogether  drawn  by  oxen.  These  horses 
were  now  in  the  hands  of  my  two  visiters. 
They  came  down,  and  found  me  with  my  coat 
off,  and  my  weapon  displayed  in  its  beauty, 
without  my  back  ever  being  toward  them 
when  we  were  near.  I  got  them  to  kindle  my 
fire,  boil  my  coffee,  and  hand  it  to  me,  while 
I  sat  under  a  tree.  I  then  intimated  that  the 
fire  was  at  their  service,  to  prepare  dinner  for 
their  company,  on  which  errand  I  supposed 
they  had  come  in  advance. 

But  in  this  I  was  mistaken :  their  business 
was  with  me ;  and  a  conference  was  directly 
commenced  between  their  chairman  and  my- 
self, though  neither  of  us  could  speak  the  lan- 
guage of  the  other.  They  were  at  a  loss  to 
know  my  office  and  occupation.  By  signs  I 
could  see  that  they  wished  to  ask  which  I  be- 
longed to,  the  secular  or  the  spiritual  depart- 


41 

ment:  and  I  answered  the  latter ;  after  which 
they  appeared  satisfied,  and  retired  and  re- 
clined in  a  shade  beyond  the  pool.  Their 
estimate  of  my  travelling  treasure  might  de- 
pend upon  the  credit  given  to  my  answer: 
and  on  comparing  their  interest  in  my  affairs, 
with  the  treatment  received  from  their  inter- 
preter last  night,  and  their  chief  this  morning, 
I  concluded  that  to  saddle  and  mount  slowly 
and  lazily  was  my  duty. 

This  soon  brought  me  up  with  the  five  other 
Mexican  Indians  of  the  morning,  taking  their 
dinner  at  another  place  of  shade  and  water. 
Their  leader  spoke  a  little  English,  and  gave 
me  directions  to  Goliad,  with  a  parting  com- 
pliment to  my  pony.  They  soon  overtook  me, 
and  I  had  the  honour  of  occupying  the  left  of 
the  chief,  while  the  others  rode  two  and  two 
behind  us.  A  loose  horse  followed,  between 
which  and  my  pony  he  frequently  but  vainly 
attempted  a  trade.  After  one  of  these  failures 
he  spoke  back  to  one  of  his  young  men  in  a 
way  which  excited  some  suspicion  that  I  was 
not  in  as  good  company  as  I  had  at  first  ima- 
gined. 

He  asked  me  if  I  had  danced  fandangos 
with  the  ladies  of  Bexar,  during  my  stay  in 
that  place.  He  let  me  know  that  he  had  en- 
joyed that  pleasure ;  arid  on  comparing  notes 
I  found  that  when  the  forty  horses  were  stolen 
from  one  cahallado  on  this  •side  of  Bexar,  he 
4* 


42 

must  have  been  about  that  place  on  his  way 
to  that  city  of  fandangos. 

He  seemed  anxious  to  know  whether  I 
should  stay  in  Goliad,  or  where  I  should  stay 
that  night.  By  this  time  I  was  unwilling  to  let 
him  know. 

At  a  great  distance  before  us,  in  the  prairie, 
two  ill  defined  figures  appeared  on  horseback. 
My  companion  suddenly  galloped  far  ahead, 
and  in  that  gait  sallied  out  of  the  road  and 
back  again;  out  of  the  road  and  back  again; 
during  which  repeated  evolutions  the  figures 
at  a  distance  stood  still,  and  at  the  end  of 
them,  they  and  the  chief  galloped  to  a  point 
of  meeting,  off  the  road,  while  his  young  men 
continued  to  follow  me  as  if  I  were  fully  in- 
stalled the  lieutenant  of  the  band.  He  re- 
turned to  my  side;  and  on  arriving  in  Goliad 
I  found  a  great  stir  about  stolen  horses,  after 
which  my  fellow-traveller  had  been  hired  to 
go,  but  had  returned  without  success. 

To  preserve  my  animal,  I  lodged  in  a  lovely 
grove,  far  from  the  road,  five  miles  this  side 
of  the  place.  The  next  day,  as  I  was  dining 
under  a  tree  near  the  Coleto,  he  passed  me, 
and  inquired  about  my  going  to  Victoria,  whi- 
ther he  also  was  going,  as  his  family  resided 
there. 

On  my  arrival  there  in  the  evening,  while  I 
was  telling  my  hospitable,  pious  and  intelligent 
host   that  I   apprWiended    danger   of  horse- 


43 

thieves,  and  therefore  felt  anxious  to  secure 
my  pony  in  a  good  inclosure,  the  animal  and 
its  beautiful  lariat  disappeared  and  we  saw 
them  no  more.  At  the  same  time  my  compa- 
nion was  missing,  and  several  other  horses 
disappeared.  I  concluded  that  on  the  Guade- 
lupe  and  the  San  Antonio  the  name  of  Ca- 
manchees  was  a  very  convenient  cloak  for 
Mexican  murderers  and  horse-thieves. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Found  at  Victoria  a  real  Mexican  g^entleman  at  last,  in  an  old  pack- 
horse,  successor  to  pony.  Long  walk.  Fresh  venison  supper  and 
breakfast  in  a  solitary  encampment  on  the  Arenoso.  Bay  and  river 
of  la  Bacca.  The  valley  decked  with  pools  like  those  of  David's 
valley  of  Baca !  Land  of  milk  and  honey.  Exposure  to  the  sun. 
Dangerous  sickness.  Saved  from  death  by  the  kindness  of  God  and 
of  a  Texan  family. 

Consulting  my  purse  as  usual,  I  purchased 
an  old  broken-down  Mexican  pack-horse:  and 
after  dressing  him  into  something  twice  as 
well  looking  as  his  rider,  I  drove  him  before 
me  thirteen  miles,  to  the  Carcitas  creek,  where 
I  dined  and  took  a  nap  under  a  tree.  Gentle- 
men, having  business  in  Victoria,  have  some- 
times spent  their  nights  on  this  creek  in  the 
open  air,  to  keep  their  horses  from  joining  the 
Infallible  Church,  as  my  Indian  pony  had  done. 
I  had  such  a  lodging  that  night  on  the  banks 
of  the  Arenoso,  where  some  hunter  had  left  a 


44 


fire  not  yet  utterly  extinct,  and  a  sufficiency  of 
venisonj  killed  that  morning,  to  make  me  a 
good  supper  and  breakfast.  A  little  later  and 
the  wolves  would  have  precluded  me  from 
this  delicious  treat. 

There  I  took  a  wrong  road,  and  went  to 
Dimmitt's  landing  on  the  bay  of  La  Bacca. 
Soon  after  my  journey  the  papers  announced 
the  march  of  a  hostile  force  along  my  road, 
burning  Victoria  and  Lmnville,  a  place  on  the 
bay,  called  from  a  man  to  whom  I  was  intro- 
duced. It  appears  that  the  invaders  tried  to 
pass  for  Camanchees,  but  spoke  Spanish,  like 
my  friends  on  the  San  Antonio. 

As  the  place  for  which  I  designed  to  set  out 
in  the  morning  was  up  the  river,  I  made  an 
acute  angle  at  the  bay,  and  saw  a  country 
which,  to  me,  appeared  somewhat  peculiar,  in 
the  lagoons  with  which  the  vicinity  of  the 
river  was  decked.  Bodies  of  pure,  limpid 
stagnant  water,  in  which  animals  dare  not 
bathe,  are  common  through  the  country;  but 
these  were  uncommonly  large,  and  difficult  of 
safe  access,  the  verge  of  their  craters  being 
precipitous,  and  yet  soft ;  and  the  water  far- 
ther below  them  than  in  others.  A  weak  horse 
might  be  irrecoverably  mired  in  trying  to 
drink.  Mine  was  so  cautious  from  age  and 
experience,  that  for  a  day  he  joined  the  total 
abstinence  society,  rather  than  risk  the  con- 
sequences of  a  drink,  even  in  places  where 


45 

cattle  had  evidently  obtained  this  refreshment. 
Thus  these  reservoirs,  and  others  through  the 
land,  are  extremely  pleasant  and  useful,  while, 
by  their  very  structure,  Providence  preserves 
them  from  contamination.  Until  my  journey 
through  Texas  I  never  appreciated  so  highly 
such  passages  of  Scripture  as  the  following: 
"  Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strength  is  in  thee; 
in  whose  heart  are  the  ways  of  them,  who 
passing  through  the  valley  of  Baca  make  it  a 
well;  the  rain  also  filleth  the  pools."  "  I  will 
make  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water."  Until 
I  wrote  these  passages  I  never  observed  the 
remarkable  coincidence  in  the  names,  David's 
valley  of  Baca,  and  my  valley  of  the  river  la 
Bacca,  If  the  Mormonites  knew  this  singular 
fact,  they  might  be  in  danger  of  making  Texasr 
their  promised  land ;  especially  as  its  prairies 
produce  more  milk,  and  its  forests  more  honey 
than  perhaps  any  other  country. 

In  the  heat  of  the  day  my  place  of  repose 
was  so  inadequate,  that  during  my  sleep,  the 
shade  passed  away,  so  that  the  scorching  sun 
beamed  upon  my  naked  head,  and  occasioned 
my  pulse  to  beat  like  a  hammer.  This,  with 
my  imprudent  walk  the  preceding  day,  sub- 
jected me  to  an  attack  of  ague  and  fever  the 
next  morning,  so  that  I  lay  in  a  stupor  all  day, 
in  a  house  where  1  was  kindly  treated.  As  it 
was  expected  that  my  disease  would  intermit, 
the  next  forenoon  found  me  at  a  house  of  en- 


46 

tertainment  on  the  Navidad,  resolved  to  go  on, 
with  divine  permission,  though  in  a  state  of 
health  which  promised  a  speedy  termination 
to  my  earthly  journey. 

There    I   became  acquainted  with  Colonel 

,  a  revolutionary  Texan,  who  lived  on  the 

same  river,  ten  miles  off  my  road.  He  ex- 
pressed a  decided  conviction  that  continuing 
to  travel  in  such  a  state  of  health  must  soon 
lay  me  low.  He  declared  that  weeks  of  rest 
and  nursing  were  necessary  to  my  preserva- 
tion. He  said  that  his  deceased  father  and  his 
surviving  mother  were  Presbyterians.  Under 
the  same  roof  with  the  latter,  he  and  some  of 
his  brothers  and  sisters  still  lived,  and  he  ven- 
tured to  answer  for  all,  that  they  would  esteem 
my  company  a  favour,  and  take  pleasure  in 
endeavouring  to  restore  me  to  health. 

After  such  an  address  from  a  citizen  of  that 
calumniated  country  to  a  shattered  old  pil- 
grim, I  took  the  liberty  of  withdrawing  to  an- 
other apartment,  to  enjoy  in  secret  ihe  luxury 
of  weeping,  and  communing  with  home  and 
with  heaven. 

Our  arrangement  was,  that  he  should  first 
go  home,  and  then  meet  me  about  sunset  at  an 
intermediate  plantation,  with  a  view  to  an 
evening  ride  of  four  miles  afterward.  Taking 
care,  as  usual,  to  get  the  course,  as  well  as  the 
road,  I  soon  had  to  leave  the  latter  for  the  for- 
mer, and   in  due  time  came  to  a  house,  the 


47 

master  of  which  told  me  that  my  rendezvous 
was  less  than  a  mile  in  advance,  and  that  a 
path  going  from  the  corner  of  his  fence  would 
lead  me  to  the  place.  On  coming  to  the  cor- 
ner of  the  fence  I  took  the  most  probable  one 
of  about  thirty  paths  which  appeared  in  view, 
and  after  riding  more  than  a  mile,  the  dark- 
ness made  my  compass  useless,  and  after  se- 
veral other  miles  without  a  house,  I  turned 
back.  Between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock  I  came 
to  a  plantation  where  all  had  gone  to  bed  ex- 
cept two  young  men,  the  elder  of  whom  I 
found  to  be  the  kind  wagoner,  mentioned  in 
chapter  2d,  above,  who  caught  my  pony  after 
swimming  the  bayou,  and  cut  down  a  tree  on 
which  my  Kentucky  friend  and  I  carried  over 

our  baggage.     He  told  me  that  Colonel 

had  waited  for  me  until  9  o'clock,  and  would 
return  for  me  the  next  day,  which  he  did  ac- 
cordingly. 

At  his  house,  a  gland  which  a  few  days 
before  presented  an  ordinary  waxen  kernel, 
rapidly  grew  to  twice  the  size  of  a  hen's  c^^g. 
My  host  went  to  Texana,  about  thirty-five 
miles,  and  could  not  get  either  of  two  physi- 
cians to  leave  their  patients;  and  we  sent  for 
a  plain,  unlettered  neighbour,  who  sometimes 
did  good,  in  the  absence  of  a  regular  physi- 
cian. He  considered  it  dangerous  to  open  the 
tumour  with  the  lancet,  and  applied  to  it  a 
poultice  of  honey,  and  the  yelk  of  an  egg. 


48 

With  the  constant  use  of  this  remedy,  as  sim- 
ple as  Isaiah's  prescription  for  Hezekiah,  the 
gland  was  so  rapidly  restored  by  the  God  of 
Isaiah,  that  on  the  next  Sabbath,  I  was  en- 
abled to  preach  at  the  house,  and  on  the  next 
Tuesday,  to  resume  the  road;  leaving  a  debt 
of  gratitude  never  to  be  cancelled. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Riding  through  the  rain,  once  and  again,  immediately'  after  recorery* 
A  noble  hunter  on  the  West  Caranchua  Creek.  Wild  road  to  the 
East  Caranchua ;  after  swimming  which,  sleep  safely  under  a  tree, 
in  wet  clothes.     Texan  hunter's  song. 

On  the  second  day  after  my  departure,  I 
rode  through  a  heavy  rain,  to  a  hospitable 
dwelling  on  the  West  Caranchua  Creek,  whose 
owner  had  wielded  the  axe  at  the  taking  of 
Goliad';  who  shot  a  cougar,  or  American  tiger, 
in  a  cane-brake,  the  moment  that  a  growl  in- 
formed him  that  he  was  devouring  a  carcass, 
within  a  few  steps;  and  who  killed  nine  pan- 
thers in  the  last  year.  His  shot-pouch  was 
made  of  the  skin  of  an  ounce,  or  leopard-cat, 
and  he  had  once  seen  an  old  leopard  killed  by 
his  companions.  Hardly  any  of  these  beasts 
are  more  courageous,  or  dangerous,  than  the 
peccary,  or  Mexican  hog,  when  it  is  excited. 

Their  miles  are  like  their  ears  of  Indian 


49 

corn,  half  as  long  again  as  others.  Accord- 
ing to  this  naeasurement,  my  next  clay's  jour- 
ney was  ten  miles,  at  first  winding  through  a 
timbered  swamp,  and  then  through  a  prairie, 
which  would  have  been  called  a  lake,  if  the 
grass  had  been  a  little  lower,  or  the  water  a 
httle  higher. 

After  a  ride  of  a  few  miles,  there  was  a 
heavy  rain  driven  by  the  wind.  Then  the 
road  utterly  disappeared,  in  consequence  of  a 
combination  of  deep  water  and  overgrowing 
grass.  I  returned  to  the  last  visible  trace,  and 
tried  again  to  catch  the  distant  trail,  but  in 
vain.  My  animal  began  to  sink  deeper,  and 
to  show  the  increasing  caution  of  one  accus- 
tomed to  bogs. 

If  Christianity  can  make  one  happy  in  such 
circumstances,  it  must  be  a  sweet  religion. 
Men  may  talk  as  they  please  about  madness, 
or  imagination,  or  delusion;  but  the  heart 
knows  its  own  gladness,  as  well  as  its  own 
sadness.  That  was  a  happy  day  to  my  soul; 
a  day  of  filial  communion  with  the  God  of  my 
salvation.  Deeply  convinced  that  he  was  the 
Author  alike  of  creation  and  revelation,  I  saw 
him  in  the  early  sunshine,  the  gathering  clouds, 
the  pelting  storm,  and  the  trackless  waste. 
God  was  glorious;  Christ  was  precious;  and 
the  sound  of  his  faithful  promises  arose  above 
the  tempest.  A  graciously  composed  confi- 
dence in  his  presence  and  power,  goodness 
5 


50 

and  truth,  enabled  me  to  admire  and  enjoy  the 
grandeur  of  his  works,  and  to  use,  without  a 
quivering  nerve,  the  means  of  self-preservation. 

Having  been  directed  to  the  general  course 
in  the  morning,  my  pocket  compass  declared 
that,  in  a  few  moments,  I  had  turned  far  too 
much  toward  the  south;  and  that  if  I  ever  re- 
covered the  road,  it  must  be  on  my  left.  I 
accordingly  kept  the  course  prescribed  in  the 
morning.  After  several  hours  of  laborious 
"wading,  the  sun  shone  again,  and  I  struck  the 
East  Caranchua.  Taking  advantage  of  its 
wooded  windings,  by  going  from  point  to 
point,  northw^ard,  I  found  the  road,  and  the 
legitimate  crossing  of  the  stream.  As  I  had 
been  informed,  it  was  too  deep  to  ford ;  but  my 
old  Mexican  swam  like  a  duck.  God  says, 
"When  thou  passest  through  the  waters,  I 
will  be  with  thee,  and  through  the  rivers,  they 
shall  not  overflow  thee."  This  promise  was 
repeatedly  fulfilled  to  me,  though  no  swimmer. 
I  turned  my  horse  out  to  grass,  w^ell  hobbled; 
as  I  had  been  told  in  the  morning,  that  other- 
wise he  might  be  picked  up  by  some  herd  of 
mustangs,  (the  wild  horses  of  the  country,) 
which  are  as  complete  horse  thieves,  as  if  they 
had  served  a  regular  apprenticeship  in  the 
confessional. 

Every  thing  was  so  wet,  that  I  failed  in 
kindling  a  fire:  but  the  materials  gathered  for 
that  purpose,  served  to  improve  my  bed.  To 
answer  my  prayers,  and  keep  me  from  sleep- 


51 

ing  so  soundly  in  nay  wet  clothes,  as  to  incur 
ague  or  rheumatism,  or  cold  or  toothache, 
Providence  allowed  Beelzebub,  (that  D.  D.  who 
claims  the  fly  department,)  to  enliven  me  with 
about  fifty  thousand  musquitoes:  but  many  of 
them  shared  the  fate  of  their  brethren  under 
Santa  Anna.  If  my  late  host  had  left  any 
panthers  alive,  God  kept  them  out  of  my  sleep- 
ing or  waking  visions.  To  me,  the  promise 
(in  Ezek.  xxx,iv.  25),  was  truly  and  literally  ful- 
filled, "  And  I  will  make  with  them  a  covenant 
of  peace,  and  will  cause  the  evil  beasts  to  cease 
out  of  the  land;  and  they  shall  dwell  safely  in 
the  wilderness,  and  sleep  in  the  woods." 

Will  the  reader  indulge  me  in  here  copying 
the  Texan  hunter's  song? 

How  rich  are  the  prah'ie  and  grove  ! 

How  pleasant  does  Texas  appear! 
Bears,  peccaries,  buflTalos  love 

To  dream  they  may  always  live  here. 

Hares,  doves,  quails  and  grouse  may  be  seen. 
Near  poultry  and  swine  on  the  road; 

Deer,  turkeys,  cows,  horses  maintain 
'Mong  wild  cats  and  wolves  their  abode. 

See  panthers  and  antelopes  there. 
Such  contrasts  in  churches  have  sate. 

And  ounces  and  cougars,  though  rare, 
The  rifle  is  sealing  their  fate. 

So  justice  shall  sinners  destroy. 

And  all  but  believers  must  die: 
May  we  a  blest  portion  enjoy, 

With  Christ  in  the  prairies  on  high! 


9S 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Another  hospitable  hunter. 

A  MOUNTED  hunter,  with  his  rifle,  passed  so 
near  me  on  the  prairie,  that  I  saluted  him.  A 
look  of  unaccountable  austerity,  was  all  the 
return  that  I  could  perceive.  It  soon  began 
to  rain,  and  I  asked  protection  at  the  first 
house.  Two  men  told  me,  that  the  man  of  the 
house  was  not  at  home.  **  Is  there  no  woman 
of  the  house?"  I  inquired.  "  There  is  not  a  fe- 
nnale  belonging  to  the  place,"  w^as  the  answer. 
"  Then,"  said  I,  "  it  must  be  a  dreary  place,  in- 
deed. But  will  not  you  venture  to  give  shelter 
to  a  traveller?"  They  replied,  "There  can 
be  no  objection,  as  far  as  we  are  concerned." 

After  my  horse  was  disposed  of,  and  we  had 
conversed  awhile,  one  of  them  withdrew,  and 
the  other  informed  me  that  he  suspected  me 
to  be  a  clergyman,  and  that  he  felt  anxious 
about  my  situation,  after  the  return  of  my 
landlord:  "for,"  said  he,  "he  is  a  man  of  vio- 
lent passions,  and  sometimes  extremely  pro- 
fane." Circumstances  convinced  me  that  I  had 
seen  him  emerge  from  his  own  forest,  and  God 
prepared  me  for  another  and  a  nearer  meeting. 

Supper  was  kept  waiting,  and  long  after 
dark,  the  noise  of  the  rain  upon  the  roof  was 
interrupted  by  his  call  at  the  gate.  My  kind 
informant  went  out  to  meet  and  soften  him, 


53 

and  aided  in  hanging  up  a  newly  killed  deer 
in  the  gallery.  I  stood  opposite  to  the  door, 
through  which  my  hunter  entered,  with  his 
rifle  and  accoutrements,  and  bloody  hunting- 
shirt;  disdaining,  as  before,  to  nod,  or  open  his 
lips,  or  give  any  sort  of  salutation.  He  slowly 
turned  to  a  corner  of  the  room,  where  he  de- 
liberately deposited  his  gun,  and  hung  up  his 
powder-horn,  and  shot-pouch.  Silence  per- 
vaded the  apartment.  It  was  high  time  for 
me  to  pull  trigger;  begging  pardon  of  certain 
dainty  D.  D.'s,  who  once  found  such  a  figure 
the  only  thing  to  be  laid  hold  of,  in  a  number 
of  "  Honesty,"  which,  however,  hit  the  centre. 
In  the  faith  of  God's  promises,  I  fired  away, 
with  a  free  and  fearless  address,  such  as  has 
opened  the  heart  of  many  a  Kentuckian.  The 
hunter  tardily  faced  about.  His  countenance 
was  clothed  with  the  sweet  smile  of  a  waking 
infant.  We  shook  hands,  with  a  laconic  but 
cordial  greeting. 

He  permitted  me  to  ask  a  blessing  at  supper, 
and  at  every  meal  which  I  ate  in  his  house. 
He  permitted  me  to  choose  my  own  sleeping 
place,  and  he  spread  a  musquitoe-bar  for  my 
comfort.  He  did  not  use  a  profane  word,  nor 
indulge  in  one  fit  of  passion;  but  allowed  me 
to  hold  family  prayer,  morning  and  evening, 
during  my  stay.  On  account  of  the  long  and 
violent  rain,  my  stay  was  protracted  by  his 
affectionate  entreaty.     In  despite  of  this,  I  at 


54 


last  departed,  in  a  short  interval  of  fair  wea- 
ther, with  a  friendly  solicitation  to  call  and 
tarry,  if  I  should  travel  that  way  again.  It  is  a 
strange  country:  may  the  blessing  of  our  God 
and  Saviour  abide  with  its  dear  inhabitants. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Sickness  on  the  Brasos.     Religious  character. 

From  the  time  that  I  entered  that  belt  of 
country  which  lies  near  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
I  had  been  faithfully  warned,  that  a  weakly 
stranger,  travelling  through  it  in  the  heat  of 
summer,  must  sicken  and  die.  I  was  exhorted 
to  take  the  beach,  and  stick  to  it  as  far  as  Gal- 
veston, or  to  return  to  the  upland's,  whose  roll- 
ing prairies,  covered  with  grass  and  groves  and 
flowers,  invigorate  and  intoxicate  the  traveller. 
The  amazing  fertility  of  this  forbidden  terri- 
tory, and  its  apparent  safety,  after  acclimation, 
are  inducements  not  to  be  resisted  by  many. 
By  shunning  it,  I  should  have  made  an  imper- 
fect experiment,  and  missed  many  pleasant 
and  valuable  acquaintances,  whom  I  hope  to 
see  in  the  upper  Canaan. 

"  No  chilling  winds  or  poisonous  breath, 
Can  reach  that  happy  shore  ; 
There  sin  and  sickness,  pain  and  death, 
Are  felt  and  feared  no  more." 


55 


In  a  close  forest,  between  Brazoria  and 
Columbia,  under  a  hot  sun,  without  a  breeze, 
I  feh  that  the  threatened  calamity  was  begun. 
But  one  look  upward  changed  its  complexion, 
and  I  was  happy.  In  sight  of  the  last  men- 
tioned city,  God  brought  me  to  a  house  never 
to  be  forgotten.  With  undissembled  sorrow, 
the  family  expected  to  bury  me  among  their 
friends.  A  son-in-law,  then  on  a  visit  to  the 
house,  consented  to  undertake  my  case,  al- 
though he  had  retired  from  the  practice  of 
medicine.  With  the  blessing  of  God  on  skil- 
ful treatment  and  kind  nursing,  I  was  soon 
well  enough  to  deliver  a  discourse  in  town, 
and  another  on  the  San  Bernard  river,  whither 
I  went,  with  a  party  of  pious  friends,  to  visit  a 
pious  family. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

sickness  on  the  Bayou,  and  on  the  Island.     Wonderful  g^dness  of 
God,  and  kindness  of  the  people. 

My  last  night  on  the  Buffalo  Bayou,  was 
the  most  painful  in  Texas.  In  turning,  and 
rolling  and  rising,  and  wrestling  with  the  An- 
gel of  the  Covenant,  I  had  some  gleam  of 
hope,  that  ihe  disease  then  beginning,  would 
speedily  close  my  eyes,  and  that  the  predictions 
of  my  never  seeing  Galveston  again,  might  be 


fulfilled.  But  the  next  day,  I  was  taken  by  one 
of  its  hospitable  citizens  to  his  residence. 

In  that  wholesome  atmosphere,  my  com- 
plaint was  slow  in  maturing:  but,  on  a  certain 
Tuesday,  I  had  to  go  to  bed.  From  that  un- 
til the  next  Tuesday,  I  recollect  hardly  any 
thing  that  occurred,  except  that  at  one  time  I 
took  medicine  from  a  kind  female  hand,  and 
at  another  time,  from  my  affectionate  host.  I 
was  afterward  told,  that  on  Thursday  morn- 
ing, a  couple  of  my  intimate  friends  asked  me 
if  i  knew  them,  and  I  answered  in  the  nega- 
tive. I  was  told  of  words,  on  Friday  also, 
which  are  obliterated  from  my  memory.  For 
a  few  seconds,  on  Saturday  evening,  I  opened 
my  eyes,  and  clearly  recognised  my  host,  and 
other  dear  friends,  passing  from  the  bed,  and 
about  the  room,  with  countenances  so  strongly 
marked  with  solemn  anxiety,  that,  to  this  mo- 
ment, the  scene  appears  alive  before  me.  I 
immediately  closed  my  eyes,  and  relapsed  into 
a  state  of  perfect  insensibility,  without  even  a 
dreaming  thought. 

Every  one  considered  that  to  be  my  last 
sleep.  No  person  expected  me  to  revive.  A 
dear  friend  put  in  his  claim  to  my  body,  that 
it  might  be  deposited  in  the  centre  of  a  circle, 
which  was  in  the  middle  of  his  fine  garden. 
Three  physicians,  and  a  number  of  gentlemen 
and  ladies,  moved  with  sympathy  for  a  sister 
about  to  be  left  a  widow,  in  a  distant  city, 


57 

gathered  into  the  apartment,  and  were  appa- 
rently waiting  around  the  bed  for  the  last 
breath.  God  opened  my  eyes  upon  the  scene. 
My  attending  physician  eagerly  asked  if  I 
knew  him;  then  the  consulting  physicians  the 
same;  then  all  the  friends,  male  and  female. 
Though  extremely  feeble,  my  answers  were 
generally  satisfoctory.  I  asked  what  day  of 
the  week  it  was,  and  was  told  by  the  Doctor, 
that  it  was  the  forenoon  of  Tuesday,  and  that 
my  case  was  dangerous.  I  then  told  him,  that 
as  his  profession  acknowledged  the  existence 
of  idiosynchrasieSy  I  hoped  that  they  would 
make  a  liberal  allowance  for  one  in  the  pre- 
sent case.  If  they  would,  I  assured  them  that 
God  would  restore  me;  and  if  they  would  not, 
I  was  doomed  to  certain  death.  On  their 
earnestly  inquiring  into  particulars,  I  told  them 
that  the  use  of  watermelon  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  my  recovery.  I  obtained  a  hesi- 
tating consent  from  all  three. 

They  and  the  company  then  dispersed,  and 
left  a  couple  of  real  friends  to  give  me  medi- 
cine, and  every  thing  that  was  right.  I  longed 
for  the  promised  melon.  My  friends  endea- 
voured to  play  me  off,  and  out-general  me,  by 
such  tender  attentions  as  make  my  heart  melt 
with  gratitude  to  this  moment.  I  saw  that  the 
second  thoughts  of  my  medical  friends  had 
differed  from  the  first,  and  that  my  attending 
friends  knew  what  they  were  doing. 


58 

I  watched  the  door  for  the  entrance  of  some 
man  of  Texan  eccentricity,  in  whom  I  could 
confide,  to  break  the  obnoxious  private  orders. 
Vain  was  that  watching,  through  a  long  day 
and  a  protracted  night.  I  felt  that  that  skir 
mishing,  which  often  precedes  the  mortal  con- 
flict, was  now  beginning;  and  that  there  was 
enough  of  corporeal  energy  left  to  make  the 
struggle  violent.  A  portion  of  this  energy  was 
spent  in  rising  to  my  knees,  for  the  last  time, 
and  once  more  addressing  Heaven  in  that 
attitude.  A  door  ajar,  screened  me  from  the 
watching  friends  who  succeeded  those  of  the 
day.  They  heard  groans,  but  God  heard 
groans,  words,  and  thoughts.  I  felt  ashamed 
to  ask  for  life,  because  I  had  so  long  panted 
for  deliverance:  but  I  told  my  heavenly  Fa- 
ther, that  if  it  were  his  will  to  preserve  me 
from  a  death  resembling  that  of  the  gibbet,  and 
to  restore  me  to  my  family  and  friends,  I  knew 
that  he  could  easily  send  some  daring  Texan, 
who  would  give  me  a  watermelon,  in  spite  of 
my  amiable  but  mistaken  friends. 

The  day  began  to  dawn,  as  I  lay  down.  At 
that  moment,  a  man  somewhat  muffled,  en- 
tered the  room,  came  to  the  bed-side,  and 
thrust  his  head  under  the  musquitoe-net  to  my 
ear.  In  a  tone  intended  for  me  alone,  he  said, 
"  I  understand  they  wo'nt  give  you  any  water- 
melon." "  No,"  I  answered,  "  and  for  that  I 
must  die."     "  It  is  strange,"  replied  he,  "  how 


59 

it  could  hurt  a  man  that  wants  it  so  much.  If 
a  body  would  give  you  some,  would  you  pro- 
mise to  take  it  moderately,  and  to  spit  out  the 
pulp?'  "Ah!  that  I  would!"  said  I.  He  then 
showed  that  a  melon  was  concealed  under  his 
muffling;  and  he  immediately  proceeded  to 
feed  me  with  it,  by  means  of  a  spoon  brought 
for  that  purpose.  "You  have  enough,  now," 
said  he,  "  and  Pll  give  you  more  after  a  while." 
I  then  began  to  sing  the  words  recorded  in 
chapter  V.,  above.  Thinking  that  I  soon  fal- 
tered, he  said,  "  You've  sung  enough  for  your 
strength,  I'll  do  the  rest;"  and  he  finished  the 
verse.  I  then  observed  to  all  present,  that 
through  the  mercy  of  God,  I  felt  confident  of 
a  speedy  recovery. 

As  might  be  expected,  the  city  rang  all  that 
day,  with  the  din  of  this  strange  occurrence; 
and  I  was  praying  that  it  might  not  displease 
my  beloved  medical  friends.  They  were  all 
alongside  the  next  morning,  with  decks  cleared 
for  action.  The  battle  was  begun  by  a  broad- 
side from  the  admiral's  ship.  "Well!"  said 
the  Doctor,  "I  suppose  you  have  no  farther 
need  of  us  now,  as  you  have  taken  matters 
into  your  own  hands."  I  answered,  "Doctor, 
I  admire  you,  and  your  brethren,  and  your 
profession.  It  is  true,  I  have  spoken  with  be- 
lieving confidence,  of  my  recovery;  but  this 
was  with  the  expectation  of  God's  blessing 
upon  your  skill.     Even  that  remedy,  which 


60 

was  so  refreshing,  was  used  by  your  express 
permission.     I  asked  it  as  an  indulgence  to  an 

idiosynchrasy.     You  said  yes.     Dr. and 

Dr. were  asked,  and  I  understood  each 

as  giving  his  consent  in  plain  terms.  Now, 
wherein  have  I  shown  any  self-w^ill,  or  violated 
any  known  order?"  They  all  three  burst  into 
a  laugh,  and  said,  **  We  hope  that,  in  your 
travels  hereafter,  you  will  do  us  the  justice  to 
state,  that  Texas  produces  excellent  water- 
melons." "  Yes,  Doctor,"  I  replied,  "  and  I 
can  also  state  that  it  has  excellent  physicians." 

Land  was  now  in  view:  but  many  a  mari- 
ner has  been  wrecked  in  trying  to  reach  it.  In 
a  few  days,  I  saw  several  instances,  in  which 
the  neglect  of  medical  advice  might  have  been 
fatal,  and  several  in  which  nothing  but  the 
divine  hand  kept  me  from  a  relapse. 

How  good  God  was,  in  putting  it  into  the 
hearts  of  the  physicians  and  the  citizens  to 
nurse  me  so  kindly  and  sweetly!  Was  ever 
mortal  more  highly  favoured  ?  All  things  ap- 
peared to  be  mercifully  ordered.  From  my 
bed,  I  could  plainly  see  through  the  windows. 
For  some  distance,  they  overlooked  the  prai- 
rie, and  beyond  it  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach.  While  the  gentle 
breeze  was  fanning  me,  as  with  angel's  wings, 
the  sun  was  shining  with  such  a  clear,  bright 
beauty,  that  I  was  constrained  to  ask,  "  Is  it 
possible  that  an  Italian  sun  can  equal  this?" 


61 

My  perception  of  the  beautiful  and  sublime 
in  God's  works,  appeared  to  be  in  a  healthy 
state,  and  my  sense  of  human  sympathy,  cour- 
tesy, and  kindness,  was  very  quick  ;  and  in  my 
sickness  and  convalescence,  both  taste  and 
gratitude  had  delightful  exercise. 

But  these  were  the  least  of  the  blessings  in 
which  I  was  permitted  to  revel.  The  Sun  of 
Righteousness  arose  upon  me  with  healing  in 
his  wings.  The  Spirit  of  consolation  breathed 
upon  my  heart.  The  gieatness  and  the  good- 
ness of  Jehovah,  in  the  plan  of  redemption, 
appeared  so  stupendous,  and  he  was  pleased 
to  enable  me  to  lay  hold  of  his  covenant  w^ith 
so  strong  a  consciousness  of  the  fact,  as  to  fill 
me  with  a  comfort  of  sw^eet  serenity,  and  a 
joy  of  awful  brightness.  A  mortifying  know- 
ledge of  my  own  helplessness  and  unworthi- 
ness,  manifestly  increased  my  amazement  at 
the  condescending  majesty  upon  which  my 
faith  was  allowed  to  gaze.  How  blessed  must 
heaven  be,  when  so  much  happiness  attends  a 
glimpse  of  glory ! 


62 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Political,  religious,  moral  character.     Notice  of  Mr.  Edward's  account 
of  Texas,  as  greatly  worse  than  the  United  States. 

Providence  has  restored  me  to  the  port 
whence  I  sailed  for  Texas.  All  speak,  as  be- 
fore, against  the  country,  and  the  character 
of  its  people.  That  such  an  impression  should 
be  made  upon  the  American  and  European 
mind,  I  cannot  wonder,  when  I  look  at  a  vo- 
lume now  before  me,  published  in  1836,  by  Mr. 
D.  B.  Edward,  an  apparently  pious  Scotch- 
man, in  which  he  represents  travellers  as  find- 
ing    things     "  BAD,     BAD,     SUPERLATIVELY     BAD," 

"  as  soon  as  they  had  crossed  the  Sabine  line,^' 
which  separates  Texas  from  the  United  States. 
Notwithstanding  Mr.  Edward's  severe  con- 
demnation of  the  dear  little  republic,  he  is 
pretty  much  that  sort  of  man  with  which  I 
should  like  to  discuss  a  question;  because  he 
agrees  with  me,  in  adopting  the  canonical 
Scriptures,  and  the  Calvinistic  Presbyterianism 
of  the  Scottish  kirk,  the  Westminster  Assem- 
bly, and  the  reformed  schools  of  Saxony,  Hol- 
land, and  Geneva,  where  God  graciously  re- 
vived true  religion,  true  morality,  and  true 
democracy.  A  man  of  truth  and  charity,  can- 
dour and  good  sense,  will  aid  me  to  do  justice, 
in  the  examination  of  the  following  topics. 


63 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mr.  Edward's  contrast  of  the  Eastern  and  Western  sides  of  the  Sabine 
cursorily  examined,  in  regard  to  forgery  and  perjury;  swindling  and 
Swartwoutism ;  assaults,  I'obberies,  and  rapes  ;  gambling  and  shaving ; 
stealing  and  pawn-broking  ;  Ellslerism  and  murder ;  barbarism,  irre- 
ligion,  and  hypocrisy. 

Fifteen  years  before  my  birth,  and  that  of 
he  present  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
Dr.  M'Sparran,  an  Episcopalian  nnissionary  to 
Rhode  Island,  wrote  a  series  of  letters  to  Dub- 
lin, which  were  published  there  with  the  fol- 
lowing title,  viz.  "  America  Dissected^  being  a 
full  and  true  account  of  all  the  American  colo- 
nies, showing  the  intemperance  of  the  climate, 
excessive  heat  and  cold,  and  sudden  violent 
changes  of  weather,  terrible  and  mischievous 
thunder  and  lightning,  bad  and  unwholesome 
air  destructive  to  human  bodies,  badness  of 
money,  danger  from  enemies;  but,  above  all, 
the  danger  to  the  souls  of  the  poor  people  that 
remove  thither,  from  the  multifarious  wicked 
and  pestilent  heresies  that  prevail  in  those 
parts.  In  several  letters,  from  a  reverend  di- 
vine of  the  Church  of  England,  Missionary  of 
America,  and  Doctor  of  Divinity.  Published 
as  a  caution  to  unsteady  people,  who  may  be 
tempted  to  leave  their  native  country." 

For  the  author's  name,  the  Ledger  refers 
to  Potter's  History  of  Narragansett,  and  then 
gives  the  following  extract,  viz.  "  There  are 
here,  which  is  no  good  symptom,  a  vast  many 


64 

law-suits  more  in  one  year,  than  the  county  of 
Derry  has  in  twenty ;  and  Billy  McEvers  has 
been  so  long  your  father's  and  your  honour's 
constable,  that  he  would  make  a  very  good 
figure  on  the  bench  of  our  courts  of  sessions 
and  common  pleas,  and  no  very  contemptible 
one  on  those  of  our  courts  of  assize  and  gene- 
ral gaol  delivery.  The  Novanglians  in  gene- 
ral, the  Rhode  Islanders  in  particular,  are  the 
only  people  on  earth  who  have  hit  on  the  art 
of  enriching  themselves,  by  running  in  debt. 
This  will  remain  no  longer  a  mystery,  when  I 
have  related  to  your  honour  that  we  have  no 
money  among  us  but  a  depreciated  paper  cur- 
rency ;  and  this,  in  the  current  of  thirty  years, 
has  dwindled  down  from  6s.  and  8d.  to  4s.  per 
ounce.  He  who  disposes  of  his  goods  on  long 
credit,  and  another  who  lends  his  money  at 
lOd  or  even  15  per  cent.,  the  first  loses  his 
profits,  and  the  last  some  of  his  principal,  be- 
sides all  the  interest.  Indeed,  a  new  act  of 
the  British  Parliament,  ill-penned,  passed  last 
winter  to  restrain  us,  but  such  things  are  only 
Bruta  Fulmina,  and  we  shall  go  on  I  doubt 
in  our  old  way  of  paper  emission,  unless  the 
Lord  in  mercy  to  us,  should  dispose  the  sove- 
reign power  to  vacate  our  patent,  and  prevent 
our  destruction,  by  taking  us  out  of  our  own 
hands." 

In  later  days,  Mrs.  Trollop  and  other  tra- 
vellers, have  appeared  disposed  to  draw  such 
a  portrait  of  the  United  States,  as  they  thought 


05 

would  sell  well  among  their  enemies.  Sin- 
cerely do  I  pray  that'  God,  for  Christ's  sake, 
would  preserve  my  pen  from  being  moved  by 
a  censorious  or  an  avaricious  temper,  by  a 
man-fearing  or  a  man-pleasing  spirit. 

The  notorious  and  undisputed  fact,  that  emi- 
nent villains  frequently  cross  the  Sabine,  west- 
ward, is  strangely  and  generally  taken  as  irre- 
fragable proof  of  the  greatly  superior  corrup- 
tion of  Texas  over  the  country  whence  this  evil 
comes.  But  the  pupil  is  not  necessarily  wiser 
than  his  teacher;  nor  is  the  stream  of  corruption 
necessarily  higher  than  its  source.  If  pious 
missionaries  should  cross  in  as  great  numbers 
as  reprobates,  would  it  argue  the  extinction  or 
decay  of  religion  in  the  churches  which  sent 
them,  or  the  superiority  of  religion  in  the 
country  to  which  they  are  sent?  This  argu- 
ment has  two  edges,  in  another  respect.  The 
enemies  of  light  and  liberty  in  Europe,  either 
by  concert  or  strange  accident,  have  turned 
toward  our  shore  such  a  current  of  ignorance 
and  vice,  disorder  and  violence,  that  it  may  be 
safely  believed,  that  many  scores  of  European 
villains  land  in  the  United  States,  for  every 
single  one  that  crosses  the  Sabine.  Does  this 
show  that  the  States  are  necessarily  worse 
than  the  European  dens  from  which  these 
vipers  have  crawled?  This  is  evidently  a  fal- 
lacious criterion  of  national  or  individual  cha- 
racter. If,  then,  every  case  is  to  stand  upon 
6* 


f^6 

its  own  merits,  permit  me  to  show  some  rea- 
sons for  differing  from  Mr.  Edward,  in  his 
contrast  of  the  two  sides  of  the  Sabine.  My 
topics  shall  be  briefly  clustered  as  follows: 

1.  Forgery  and  perjury;  swindling  and  Swart- 
woutism ;  assaults,  robberies  and  rapes;  gam- 
bling and  shaving;  stealing  and  pawn-broking. 
Citizens  of  the  States  mourn  that  these  crimes 
have  attained  an  alarming  height,  among  high 
and  low,  rich  and  poor,  white  and  black.  The 
subject  is  noticed  by  the  Public  Ledger  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  The  Rising  Generation, — About  five  hun- 
dred young  robbers,  it  is  estimated,  daily  per- 
ambulate the  streets  of  New  York,  stealing 
every  thing  they  can  lay  their  hands  on.  An- 
other detachment  visit  the  auctions,  cut  the 
bags,  baskets  and  barrels,  and  carry  off  an 
immense  quantity,  by  the  ^homoipathy  princi- 
ple,' of  a  little  at  a  time.  Another  set  steal 
the  mechanics'  tools,  nails,  lead  and  other  arti- 
cles from  public  and  private  buildings.  Our 
own  city  can  boast  of  a  similar  band,  which, 
if  not  so  numerous,  are  equally  as  daring.'^ 

Travellers  through  Mexico  represent  it  as 
a  nation  of  thieves.  If  Texas,  lying  between 
the  two  countries,  were  as  bad  as  her  enemies 
believe,  it  would  be  no  wonder.  Going  there 
as  a  stranger,  and  prepared  to  settle  among 
their  worst,  I  took  a  good  supply  of  locks  and 
keys,  and  other  fastenings,  with  necessary 
arms,  and  a  noble  bull-terrier,  (a  present,)  for 


67 

a  watch-dog.  I  soon  entered  a  hospitable  re- 
treat, in  a  part  of  the  city  very  remote  from 
my  dog,  locks,  and  arms.  There  I  lodged 
many  weeks,  my  watch  lying  on  the  table 
every  night,  and  the  doors  not  fastened.  In 
my  journey  through  Texas,  I  was  informed 
that  this  was  a  prevailing  custom,  and  that  few 
cases  of  theft  occurred. 

If  in  the  overland  transportation  of  goods, 
an  accident  happen  to  the  wagon,  the  driver 
leaves  it  unprotected,  and  goes  in  search  of 
help,  without  fearing  spoliation  in  his  absence. 
On  one  such  occasion,  a  box  was  lost;  and, 
on  his  complaining,  the  neighbours  were  not 
satisfied  with  discovering  and  restoring  it: 
they  felt  that  the  culprit  had  fixed  a  stain  upon 
the  character  of  the  road,  which  it  became 
them  to  wipe  oflT.  They  accordingly  demand- 
ed his  appearance  before  his  honour,  the  cele- 
brated Judge  Lynch.  He  refused,  with  rifle 
and  Bowie-knife  in  hand.  They  quietly  waited, 
caught  him  napping,  tied  him  to  a  tree,  cut  a 
good  hickory,  and  proceeded  to  work.  After 
the  first  stroke,  which  was  severe,  he  loudly 
begged  a  parley,  and  promised  most  solemnly, 
that  if  they  would  let  him  oflf  without  farther 
punishment,  he  would,  ever  after,  make  an 
honest  living,  like  his  neighbours.  During  nis 
few  remaining  years,  he  kept  his  word.  I  af- 
terward saw  his  widow. 

2.  Ellslerism.  This,  like  Frances  Wright's 
social  fellowship,  may  be  taken  as  a  euphemism 


68 

for  all  that  may  be  expected  in  a  woman  and 
her  disciples,  when  she  leaves  a  polluted  cha- 
racter in  Europe,  and  visits  the  numerous 
cities  of  America,  exhibiting  her  naked  person 
to  mixed  assemblies  for  money.  This  Pagan 
outrage  upon  all  delicacy  and  decency,  mo- 
desty and  propriety,  has,  it  is  said,  many  vir- 
tuous female  spectators,  wherever  this  Tarta- 
rean messenger  chooses  to  make  her  filthy 
display. 

Female  Mexico  is  said  to  be  generally  Ells- 
lerian:  but,  judging  of  the  female  population 
of  Texas,  by  those  with  whom  I  became  ac- 
quainted, in  high  and  low  life,  in  city  and 
country,  I  am  under  the  impression,  that  this 
princess  of  moral  contagion  might  traverse  the 
Protestant  republic,  without  finding  as  many 
female  gazers,  as  she  has  often  had  in  the  At- 
lantic cities,  in  one  single  disgraceful  night. 

This  is  the  natural  growth  of  theatrical  in- 
stitutions, of  which  the  Texans  know  but  little 
as  yet;  while  in  a  single  city  of  the  United 
States,  they  have  lately  increased  from  one  to 
six,  under  the  nose  of  a  prolific,  powerful,  and 
pampered  clergy,  who  are  waiting  very  pru- 
dently and  patiently,  until  some  undiscovered 
region  of  the  North  will  set  on  foot  an  Ame- 
rican Anti'dancing-naked-woman  Society;  and 
then  the  thing  will  go  like  wild-fire  to  the  op- 
posite extreme,  until  good  women  will  be  for- 
bidden to  show  their  honest  faces  at  church, 


69 

at  the  peril  of  immediate  abolition  by  Oberlin 
Lynch  law. 

The  Bible  requires  churches  and  their  offi- 
cers to  do  their  duty,  whether  others  will  or 
not.  The  true  God  can  save  by  many  or  by 
few.  But  the  modern  custom  of  moving  in 
non-ecclesiastical  masses,  is  thought  to  take 
away  individual  and  ecclesiastical  responsi- 
bility. And  now,  while  Frances  Wright's  dis- 
ciples are  meeting  on  Saturday,  "  to  raise  the 
genius,  and  to  mend  the  heart,"  by  gazing  at 
a  naked  sister  of  charity,  and  are  meeting  on 
the  Sabbath  to  reform  society,  by  denouncing 
coercive  law,  private  property,  marriage,  and 
religion,  each  soldier  and  officer  of  the  church 
militant,  knowing  that  prudence,. ihsit  cardinal 
grace,  is  the  better  part  of  valour,  takes  special 
care  of  his  own  precious  scalp,  and  patiently 

waits  for  the   aforesaid  American  Anti 

from  the  North,  to  come  and  help  them ;  and 
then  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  naked  Athe- 
ists will  be  burnt  and  drowned  for  witches, 
and  the  blame  laid  upon  Orthodoxy,  as  usual. 
When  these  voluntary  masses  undertake  what 
the  church  has  neglected,  they  are  very  apt 
to  move  to  the  opposite  extreme,  with  the  im- 
petuosity of  a  hurricane,  or  a  herd  of  Texan 
mustangs  in  a  stampedo;  and  the  preachers 
have  to  go  with  them,  from  the  same  coward- 
ice which  made  them  wait  for  them.  Thus 
religion  bears  the  blame. 

Immediately  after  writing  the  above  sen- 


70 

tence,  I  was  satisfactorily  informed  that  a 
couple  of  young  Ellslerian  gentlemen,  soon  to 
close  their  minority,  went  to  the  theatre  last 
night,  purchasing  their  tickets,  with  money 
procured  by  pawning  property,  obtained  from 
a  widow's  store,  by  that  Agrarian  operation, 
now  very  popular,  which  used  to  be  called 
robbery;  but  is  now  called  an  improved  social 
arrangement.  This  morning,  restitution  was 
made  by  their  weeping  parents,  when  they 
discovered  the  tendency  of  the  theatre,  and 
the  Agrarian  Sunday  lectures  and  debates, 
"  to  raise  the  genius,  and  to  mend  the  heart," 
and  to  improve  our  social  institutions.  They 
promised  to  send  one  of  their  hopefuls  to  sea, 
and  the  other  to  the  House  of  Refuge,  and 
earnestly  entreated  that  the  affair  might  be 
concealed  from  the  Ledger.  If  they  die  in 
their  sins,  because  preachers  are  too  prudent  to 
warn  them,  upon  whom  shall  their  blood  be? 

3.  Murder.  It  is  probable  that  the  stiletto 
has  prevented  Mexico  from  having  more  than 
twice  her  present  population.  Considering  the 
cheapness  and  quietness  of  employing  a  bravo, 
they  are  amazed  at  the  absurdity  of  a  man's 
exposing  himself  in  a  duel.  As  duelling  is 
prohibited  in  Texas,  some  among  them  have 
made  a  great  deal  of  noise,  by  their  fondness 
for  planning  accidental  street  encounters.  But 
I  am  under  a  sincere  impression,  that  their 
whole  republic  does  not  furnish  as  many  mur- 
ders as  a  single  state,  or  a  single  city  of  the 


•71 

United  States.  To  candid,  intelligent,  and 
vigilant  explorers  of  both  countries,  I  appeal 
for  the  probability  of  this  opinion. 

It  is  true  that  in  the  States,  a  white  man  or 
"woman  is  hardly  ever  condemned  and  punish- 
ed for  murder,  or  other  capital  offences;  but 
this  greatly  multiplies  cases,  and  makes  them 
more  aggravated.  A  young  woman  kills  and 
conceals  her  infant,  and  is  condemned  for  the 
concealment  only.  A  barbarian  citizen,  with 
force  and  aggravated  brutality,  violates  his 
own  daughter,  and  is  condemned  for  incest. 
Another  deliberately  puts  a  pistol-ball  into  the 
head  of  his  daughter,  for  marrying  against  his 
will,  and  he  is  pronounced  insane.  Another 
knocks  his  wife  down  with  a  loaded  cart-whip  ; 
and  while  she  neither  speaks  nor  resists,  he 
proceeds,  with  wonderful  leisure,  to  a  pro- 
tracted process  of  jerking,  pulling,  tying,  and 
dragging  her  by  the  hair  of  the  head,  with 
deliberate  applications  of  the  whip,  until  the 
soul  leaves  the  body.  This  is  pronounced  a 
second  degree  case,  and  his  term  of  imprison- 
ment has  expired.  A  woman  joins  a  foreigner 
in  poisoning  her  husband,  and  that  is  a  case  of 
no  degree  at  all.  A  Democrat  in  Congress  is 
unfairly  killed  with  a  rifle;  and  the  Whigs  suc- 
cessfully plead  as  an  off-set,  that  the  Loco- 
focos,  with  their  President  at  their  head,  are 
famous  for  duelling,  and  that  none  of  the  fair- 
est. While  a  member  of  a  Legislative  Assem- 
bly has  the  floor,  the  Speaker  leaves  the  chair, 


n 

has  a  Bowie-knife  encounter  with  him,  kills 
him,  is  expelled  by  the  House,  and  tried  and 
acquitted  by  a  jury.  Thus  hardly  any  white 
person  is  found  guilty  of  murder,  and  the  wil- 
ful, wanton,  and  malicious  destruction  of  hu- 
man life,  is  becoming  extremely  flagrant. 

As  a  remedy  for  so  dreadful  an  evil,  prelati- 
cal  wisdom  has  advised  the  abolition  of  capital 
punishments,  the  substitution  of  confinement, 
as  a  more  severe  and  efficient  punishment,  and 
the  passing  of  the  strictest  laws  against  secret 
weapons.  Some  of  the  Northern  American 
Anti — 's,  called  Peace  Societies,  propose  put- 
ting the  axe  to  the  root  of  the  tree,  by  sup- 
pressing all  weapons,  offensive  and  defensive, 
visible  and  invisible,  and  adopting  the  practice 
of  passive  obedience  and  non-resistance. 

It  has  given  me  no  little  pain,  to  find  that 
in  Texas,  this  degrading  doctrine  is  viewed 
too  favourably  by  some  professing  godliness. 
It  is  well  calculated  to  prejudice  their  brave 
patriots  against  religion.  This  is  the  very 
thing  that  the  Mexicans  desired  and  attempted^ 
and  which  they  would  again  attempt  and  ac- 
complish, if  the  Texans  would  recede  from 
their  noble  stand  for  liberty.  The  Mexican 
government  intended  to  lay  the  axe  to  the  root 
of  the  tree,  when  they  required  the  Texans  to 
give  up  their  arms,  leaving  only  one  gun  to 
five  hundred  men.  The  affair  of  Goliad  shows 
the  fate  of  unarmed  men,  even  under  a  pro- 
mise of  safety.     Texans  are  firmly  and  justly 


73 

convinced,  that  if  Fannin's  men,  exhausted  as 
they  were,  had  kept  their  arms,  they  would 
have  been  conquerors,  instead  of  victims.  Let 
that  diabohcal  massacre,  by  pretended  Chris- 
tians, in  violation  of  plighted  faith,  be  a  last- 
ing answer  to  the  doctrine  of  passive  obe- 
dience and  non-resistance.  A  general  submis- 
sion to  the  disarming  order  of  Mexico,  would 
only  have  made  a  wider  devastation.  This  is 
the  history  of  Santa  Anna,  and  of  all  the  boot- 
ed Santas  of  Popery,  time  immemorial.  The 
Texans  were  too  heretical  to  believe,  that  pas- 
sive obedience  to  such  saints,  was  the  way 
to  prevent  murders  and  massacres.  Instead, 
therefore,  of  meekly  relinquishing  all  but  one 
gun  to  five  hundred  men,  there  are  few  indi- 
viduals without  a  gun,  and  some  have  half  a 
dozen,  with  a  quantum  sufficit  of  pistols  and 
Bowie-knives. 

Let  the  dupes  of  a  false  and  deceitful  mo- 
rality, and  the  effeminate  advocates  of  a  spu- 
rious refinement,  scorn  such  a  statement  if 
they  please.  Let  their  delicate  nerves  twitch 
hysterically  at  the  mention  of  weapons  which 
their  enervated  ethics  have  associated  with  all 
that  is  vulgar,  vile,  cruel,  and  savage.  I  envy 
them  not  those  characteristics  by  which  they 
are  distinguished  from  heroes  who  drew  law- 
ful weapons  in  the  lawful  defence  of  their 
dearest  relatives  and  rights.  So  daring  was 
their  enterprise,  and  so  magnanimously  con- 
7 


74 


ducted,  that  their  conquered  enemies  were 
sometimes  compelled  to  be  their  panegj^rists. 
Their  severe  accuser,  Mr.  Edward  has  re- 
ported the  compliment  of  Dominic  Ugartechea, 
the  Mexican  commander  of  the  fort  at  Velas- 
co.  Knowing  how  little  justice  or  mercy  his 
countrymen  showed  to  their  enemies,  his  heart 
was  touched  by  an  exploit  of  Texan  magna- 
nimity. After  the  garrison  was  thinned  and 
dispirited  during  a  bloody  conflict,  their  com- 
mander was  recognized  as  actively  taking  a 
post  of  danger  where  many  had  fallen.  With 
a  simultaneous  impulse,  the  Texan  rifles  were 
silenced,  as  if  to  implore  a  brave  man  to  let 
them  spare  his  life.  He  was  obliged  to  say 
"  that  such  a  people  were  unconquerable  ;  as 
they  would  by  their  humanity  gain  as  many 
hearts  as  they  could  heads  by  their  valour." 
How  frequently  do  valour  and  humanity  dwell 
together !  and  to  my  certain  knowledge,  cow- 
ardice and  cruelty  are  often  connected. 

If  the  Texans  are  wise,  they  will  never  let 
their  hands  be  tied  by  any  moral  or  religious 
quackery,  however  specious.  Men  pretend  to 
be  more  faithful  than  Abraham,  the  father  of 
the  faithful,  when  he  armed  his  household,  and 
pursued,  fought,  and  conquered  the  conquerors 
of  kings.  They  would  pretend  to  be  more 
heavenly  than  David,  the  man  after  God's  own 
heart,  who  composed  some  of  his  most  lovely 
inspired  psalms,  with  his  sword  in  his  belt,  and 
his  warriors  near  him.  I  seek  not  to  be  "  righ- 


75 

teous  over  much,"  or  "  wise  above  that  which 
is  written:"  and  in  these  respects  those  per- 
sons err  wlio  think  that  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
taments contain  two  difierent  religions;  or 
that  the  law  of  love  enjoined  in  the  latter  is 
not  taken  from  the  former. 

Even  that  perverted  saying  of  our  Saviour, 
"  All  they  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish  w4th 
the  sword,"  is  an  echo  of  the  old  law,  "  Whoso 
sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood 
be  shed."  Thus  whether  murder  is  perpetrated 
by  retail  or  wholesale,  the  divine  law,  in  the 
Old  or  New  Testaments,  puts  the  guilty  to  the 
sword.  The  necessity  and  consequent  univer- 
sality of  this  law,  among  those  who  have  little 
but  the  light  of  nature,  claim  for  it  some  re- 
spect, and  the  criminal  codes  of  all  Christen- 
dom attest  its  divine  origin  and  perpetual  ob- 
ligation. They  understand  the  Bible  in  its 
obvious  sense,  that  the  individual  murderer 
shall  be  capitally  punished;  and  that  all  they 
that  take  the  sword  for  lawless  invasion  or 
usurpation  shall  be  defeated  in  battle.  The 
temporary  repeal,  suspension,  or  evasion  of 
this  divine  law,  by  juridical  and  theological 
charlatans,  and  perjured  jurors,  has  always 
shown  its  bitter  fruits,  in  the  multiplication  of 
murders,  and  the  public  harm. 

4.  Barbarism  and  irreligion,  A  countryman 
of  mine,  remarkable  alike  for  power  and  pride, 
courage  and  credulity,  says  that  a  Kentuckian 


76 

means  a  Christian  and  a  gentleman,  (The 
Ledger  says  that  a  Christian  "  means  a  repub- 
lican and  a  gentleman.")  With  as  much  cor- 
rectness he  might  say  that  this  is  the  very 
meaning  of  the  word  Texan,  He  appears, 
however,  to  think  that  there  is  a  crime  by 
which  this  honourable  character  may  be  for- 
feited, for  the  more  suitable  sobriquet  of  half- 
horse  half- alligator.  Daring,  in  the  proper  place, 
to  reprove  barbarism  and  irreligion,  in  the 
face  of  calumny  and  cruelty,  and  without  au- 
thority from  our  Vatican,  is  this  crime. 

Texas  is  too  poor  and  persecuted  to  stand 
fair  with  other  nations.  Strangers  seldom  go 
there  with  high  expectations,  and  many  are 
favourably  disappointed  in  the  character  of 
the  people.  This  remark  may  apply  more  or 
less  to  all  my  journey  through  that  country, 
with  the  exception  of  four  or  five  towns.  A 
few  of  the  facts  which  make  favourable  im- 
pressions may  be  rehearsed  in  the  order  in 
which  they  happened. 

On  a  happy  communion  Sabbath  at  Inde- 
pendence I  was  the  oldest  of  four  clergymen 
present,  and  had  the  honour  of  dispensing  the 
Eucharist  to  the  worthy  pastor,  and  his  flock, 
and  his  travelling  brethren.  After  the  dismis- 
sion a  lady  told  me  that  she  had  seen  me  in  a 
distant  city  where  her  relatives  were  still  liv- 
ing. She  begged  that  on  my  return,  I  would 
inform  them  of  what  I  had  witnessed  and  en- 


77 


joyed ;  "  for,"  said  she,  "  they  think  that  we 
are  among  savages." 

At  the  close  of  Chapter  IV.  notice  was  taken 
of  the  practice  of  asking  God's  blessing  at  the 
table  of  the  first  hotel  in  the  Texan  capital. 
With  the  accomplished  landlady  in  her  chair, 
the  conversation  is  such  as  a  Christian  and  a 
gentleman  may  enjoy.  In  the  course  of  my 
strange  pilgrimage  I  have  been  at  public  ta- 
bles in  cities,  towns  and  villages,  from  Quebec 
to  New  Orleans.  It  is  pleasant  to  witness  the 
order  and  propriety  observed  at  many  of  them: 
but  where,  in  their  long  line,  is  this  behaviour 
connected  with  a  habitual  acknowledgment  of 
the  Triune  God,  the  only  Saviour. 

Barbarism  and  irreligion  are  sometimes  ex- 
hibited in  loathing  the  subject  of  religion,  and 
a  contemptuous  treatment  of  its  ministers;  espe- 
cially when  they  are  old  and  ugly,  poor  and 
ill  dressed.  I  was  not  without  misgivings  on 
this  score,  when  approaching  a  wealthy  habi- 
tation on  the  Brasos,  about  six  miles  above 
Velasco,  where  it  enters  the  Gulf.  The  gen- 
tleman of  the  house  was  not  a  Christian;  nei- 
ther was  the  rich  husband  of  a  lady  whom  I 
found  there  on  a  visit  to  his  wife.  The  ladies 
themselves  did  not  profess  religion ;  but  if  they 
had  been  assured  that  the  rugged  stranger  be- 
fore them  was  Elijah  sent  on  a  special  message, 
they  could  hardly  have  behaved  more  reve- 
rentlv,  listened  to  instruction  more  eagerly,  or 
7* 


78 

united  in  prayer  and  praise  with  more  apparent 
interest.  It  appeared  to  me  that  God  had  pre- 
pared their  hearts  anxiously  to  desire  the  truth, 
and  mine  gladly  to  declare  it. 

In  the  close  of  Chapter  X.  above,  mention 
is  made  of  an  excursion  from  the  Brasos  at 
Columbia  to  a  place  on  the  San  Bernard.  By 
an  arrangement  of  the  previous  day  we  as- 
sembled from  several  points  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, early  in  the  morning,  at  the  mouth  of  a 
bayou,  where  we  embarked  in  a  large  and  ex- 
cellent canoe,  brought  for  the  purpose,  by  the 
gentleman  to  whose  house  we  were  going. 
As  I  was  not  yet  fully  recovered  from  my  late 
dangerous  sickness,  they  gave  me  the  bow, 
where  I  might  enjoy  a  semi-reclining  posture. 
When  we  had  been  some  time  afloat,  I  asked 
my  beloved  physician,  who  was  situated  next 
to  me,  if  he  could  not  raise  some  spiritual  song 
in  which  we  could  all  join.  To  one  of  the 
psalms  of  Dr.  Watts,  which  I  had  long  known 
by  memory,  he  struct  up  a  noble  Scotch 
march,  which  I  had  learned  in  boyhood,  al- 
though I  have  forgotten  its  name.  Having 
found  what  an  excellent  psalm  tune  it  is,  I  often 
sing  it,  and  call  it  by  the  name  of  San  Bernard, 
until  some  Scotchman  will  inform  me  belter. 
The  river  praised  God;  and  on  looking  over 
our  happy  company  of  eight,  it  was  found  that 
seven  were  professors  of  religion. 

The  house  to  which  I  was  last  taken  in 


79 

Galveston,  contained  four  gentlemen  and  two 
ladies,  all  f>rofessors  of  religion ;  and  the  four 
gentlemen,  (two  of  them  lawyers,)  taking  it  in 
turn  to  lead  in  family  worship.  The  families 
in  the  neighbourhood  also  were  pious;  and  the 
city  contains  perhaps  as  good  society,  and  as 
remote  from  barbarism  and  irreligion  as  any 
in  the  States. 

It  was  observed  above,  that  four  or  five 
towns  belonging  to  my  route  did  not  make  a 
favourable  impression.  During  my  short  slay 
in  San  Felipe  de  Austin,  and  in  Washington, 
there  appeared  to  be  a  remarkable  devotion  to 
the  billiard  table  in  the  former  place,  and  to 
the  race-course  in  the  latter.  Subsequent  in- 
formation convinced  me  that  the  obvious  in- 
ference was  not  an  unjust  judgment. 

It  becomes  me  to  speak  cautiously  of  the 
ancient  and  once  populous  and  opulent  Mexi- 
can cities  Bexar  and  Goliad,  on  the  San  Anto- 
nio river.  It  can  hardly  be  expected  that  I 
can  think  so  highly  of  them  as  do  the  priests 
of  their  own  church.  High  European  autho- 
rity in  that  communion,  in  their  ^' Annales  de 
la  propagation  de  la  foiy^  claims  a  Catholic 
population  of  20,000  souls,  in  Texas.  The 
present  lords  of  the  soil  have  a  very  sparse 
mixture  of  Papists.  Add  to  these  the  Popish 
settlements  of  Santa  Fe  and  San  Antonio,  and 
then  muster  the  Camanche  Indians,  who,  like 
the  millions  of  Mexican  Indians,  are  Roman 


80 

Catholics,  and  it  is  barely  possible  that  you 
can  find  that  number.  But  these  Indians, 
though  citizens  of  the  Popish  Zion,  are  not 
citizens  of  Texas,  but  in  a  state  of  open  hos- 
tility to  her. 

Concerning  the  Aborigines  converted  by 
Spaniards  to  Popery,  their  "Annals"  above- 
mentioned,  state  that  "  the  primitive  race  of 
red-skins  having  become  Christian  and  civil- 
ized, united  with  its  conquerors  by  frequent 
intermarriages,  nov^  forms  the  basis  of  the 
population."  The  same  "Annals"  claim  great 
credit  to  Popish  Spain  for  "  assimilating  them 
to  her  own  people,  by  imparting  her  faith  and 
her  manners.'^ 

It  is  not  probable  that  the  eight  millions  of 
Mexico  have  more  than  half  a  million  of  what 
we  would  call  white  men.  They  have  proba- 
bly several  millions  of  pure  Indians,  and  many 
negroes,  with  every  sort  of  mixture  between 
whites,  blacks,  and  reds,  with  and  without 
marriage. 

As  for  the  Camanches  of  Texas,  they  ap- 
pear to  have  been  favoured  with  very  little 
more  than  the  faith  and  manners  of  the  priest- 
hood abovementioned  :  and  these  I  do  not  envy 
them,  although  the  "Annals  of  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Faith"  say  that  they  have  "be- 
come Christian  and  civilized;"  and  although 
Dr.  Milner,  a  late  most  eminent  Popish  eccle- 
siastic and  writer  of  England,  represents  such 


81 

American  savages  as  having  "opened  their 
hearts  to  the  mild  and  sweet  truths  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  become  models  of  piety  and  morality, 
nor  less  so  of  industry,  civil  order  and  po- 
hty." 

This  somewhat  resembles  the  character 
given  some  years  ago  by  a  good  humoured 
military  explorer,  of  the  Indians  beyond  the 
Rocky  mountains.  Once  and  again  he  ap- 
peared struck  with  admiration  at  their  exces- 
sive piety.  I  think  they  even  knew  when  the 
Sabbath  came:  but  he  thought  that  they  car- 
ried their  horse-racing  and  other  gambling  on 
that  day  to  an  unnecessary  length.  I  believe 
that  the  same  remark  has  been  made  about  the 
same  way  of  spending  that  sacred  day  among 
their  Italian  brethren  at  Rome,  under  the  eye 
of  their  supreme  and  infallible,  with  their 
saints  and  angels  all  at  hand. 

I  am  not  aware  of  any  advance  which  the 
Camanches  have  made  in  Christianity  and  ci- 
vilization, beyond  the  use  of  their  wooden 
crosses,  arrant  lying,  cowardice  and  cruelty, 
and  an  industrious  application  to  the  business 
of  stealing  and  training  horses,  to  be  used  in 
surprising  and  burning  towns,  carrying  off  the 
spoil,  and  making  a  speedy  escape  from  a 
fourth  of  their  number. 

When  the  "Annals  of  the  Propagation  of 
the  Faith"  represent  Texas  as  "suffering  a 
most  deplorable  religious    destitution,"    they 


82 

doubtless  have  reference  to  the  fact  that  since 
the  revolution  has  delivered  the  people  from 
the  impositions  and  extortions  of  a  tyrannical 
and  debauched  priesthood,  the  most  of  them 
have  taken  themselves  and  their  religion  into 
Mexico,  and  left  such  "a  deplorable  religious 
destitution"  behind,  that  the  Sabbatical  cock- 
pit at  Bexar  is  falh'ng  into  decay,  for  the  want 
of  an  infallible  priesthood  to  put  gaffs  on  the 
fovi^ls,  and  to  superintend  this  edifying  exercise 
of  the  Lord's  day.  The  priest  that  is  left 
there  is  so  much  afraid  of  Protestant  obser- 
vation that  he  has  not  spirit  to  rally  the  faith- 
ful to  the  celebration  of  this  game,  incorpo- 
rated though  it  is,  with  the  faith  and  manners 
of  Popery. 

On  account  of  such  declensions  a  Roman  Ca- 
tholic of  the  place  told  me  that  there  w^as  no 
religion  at  all  there  now.  This,  however,  was 
the  language  of  discouragement:  for  the  spirit 
and  substance  of  Popery  are  still  exhibited  in 
the  zeal  of  many  to  get  some  sort  of  a  gun, 
and  spend  that  holy  day  in  hunting;  and  in 
their  regular  attention  to  the  fandango  at  night, 
as  they  are  destitute  of  a  theatre,  that  more 
approved  Popish  means  of  grace,  for  the  Sab- 
abth  evening. 

Since  Texas,  by  the  glorious  revolution,  has 
shpt  through  the  fingers  of  the  mother  and 
mistress  of  all  churches,  emissaries  of  a  more 
decent  and  imposing  character  are  sent  to  re- 


83 

claim  lliem.  May  the  wings  of  a  divine,  a 
holy,  and  a  gracious  Protector  be  spread  over 
them. 

5.  Hypocrisy,  Infidels  sometimes  speak  of 
hypocrisy  as  the  Hopkinsians  do  of  selfishness, 
as  constituting  the  essence  of  all  sin.  Ac- 
cording to  this  standard,  the  Texans  occupy 
high  ground;  and  yet  it  is  that  very  position 
which  gives  effect  to  the  shafts  of  their  ene- 
mies. Their  accusers  may  sometimes  be  far 
worse,  under  a  most  specious  appearance. 

We  will  suppose  that  the  United  States  are 
divided  into  political  parties  called  A  and  B. 
Party  A  detects  party  B  in  atrocious  forgeries 
and  perjuries;  and  troubles  the  waters  about 
it.  Then  party  B  detects  party  A  in  scanda- 
lous perjuries  and  forgeries,  and  makes  an 
outcry  about  that.  Then  the  two  parties  unite 
in  a  sort  of  mutual  political  absolution,  and 
make  the  whole  country  as  clean  and  white  as 
the  priests  make  the  Mexicans  and  Caman- 
ches;  while  poor  Texas  is  "suffering  a  most 
deplorable  religious  destitution"  of  such  crimes 
or  comforts. 

The  States  are  considered  a  Christian  coun- 
try; and  a  man  cannot  be  judge,  juryman  or 
witness,  unless  he  profess  to  believe  in  a  God, 
and  in  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments. If  a  modern  CJniversalist  or  an  an- 
cient Sadducee,  who  believes  in  neither,  were 
to  scrutinize  the  verdicts  of  our  juries,  could 


H 

he,  in  thousands  of  cases,  deny  them  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship?  They  swear  by  the  Au- 
thor of  life,  and  the  Judge  of  all,  that  they 
will  decide  according  lo  law  and  evidence. 
The  evidence  makes  out  a  clear  case  of  ag- 
gravated murder;  and  the  laws  of  God  and 
man  ordain  capital  punishment.  The  jury 
are  conscientiously  opposed  to  taking  life; 
and  therefore  very  conscientiously  violate  their 
oath,  by  deciding  against  law  and  evidence; 
and  thus  they  multiply  murders,  v^'hich,  in  their 
turn,  multiply  perjuries.  Do  these  men  be- 
lieve in  a  God,  and  in  future  rewards  and 
punishments?  If  not,  who  shall  set  bounds  to 
prevailing  hypocrisy? 

What  can  be  thought  of  churches,  where, 
for  filthy  lucre's  sake,  myriads  of  ministers  and 
people  of  opposite  principles  and  practices  pro- 
fess the  same  creed  ?  An  ecclesiastical  body, 
putting  the  first  match  to  a  train  which  ex- 
ploded 60,000  doctrinal  hypocrites,  spreads  its 
shield  over  such  practical  hypocrites  as  swear- 
ers, liars  and  Sabbath-breakers,  gamblers  and 
drunkards.  All  this  after  a  grand  purgation 
and  professed  reformation.  **  If  they  do  these 
things  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in 
the  dry?" 


85 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Testimony  and  conduct  of  Texas  in  relation  to  Popery  better  than  that 
of  other  countries. 

PorERY  is  a  name  which  ought  not  to  fright- 
en a  Scotchman.  He  believes  it  to  embody 
all  that  is  meant  by  Antichristian  apostacy, 
ignorance,  and  arrogance;  cunning  and  hy- 
pocrisy; tyranny  and  cruelty;  immorality, 
blasphemy,  and  idolatry.  For  the  proof  he  is 
willing  to  appeal  to  Popish  books  of  acknow- 
ledged authority,  and  to  all  authentic  history, 
Popish  and  Protestant.* 

How  do  Texas  and  the  British  empire,  and 
the  American  states  stand  in  relation  to  this 
evil  ?  In  their  "  unanimous  declaration  of  in- 
dependence," the  Texans  have  stated  against 
the  Mexicans  that  "the  whole  nature  of  their 
government  has  been  forcibly  changed,  with- 
out their  consent,  from  a  restricted  federative 
republic,  composed  of  sovereign  states,  to  a 
consolidated  central  military  despotism,  in 
which  every  interest  is  disregarded,  but  that 
of  the  army  and  the  priesthood;  both  the 
eternal  enemies  of  civil  liberty,  the  ever 
ready  minions  or  power,  and  the  usual  instru- 
ments OF  TYRANTS." 

*  See  Appendix  No.  3,  where  this  has  been  offered, 
8 


To  a  nation  of  Texans,  not,  probably,  equal 
in  number  to  the  population  of  Boston  or  Bal- 
timore, God  gave  deliverance  from  Santa 
Anna,  the  tool  of  Popish  priests,  backed  by 
eight  millions  of  Popish  Mexicans.  The  Bri- 
tish empire  once  experienced  a  similar  deli- 
verance, and  her  political  and  religious  esta- 
blishments are  based  upon  that  revolution,  and 
she  wishes  to  acknowledge  the  freedom  of  her 
Anglo  Saxon  blood  in  Texas.  But  in  Daniel 
O'Connel  she  also  has  to  face  a  Santa  Anna, 
the  tool  of  Irish  priests,  backed  by  millions  of 
Irish  Papists.  Behold  the  lion  creeping  into 
his  cage  ;  and,  until  lately,  allowing  this  Popish 
agitator  to  keep  the  door  !  Under  such  keep- 
ing we  wonder  not  to  see  Irish  magistrates  re- 
moved, and  their  places  filled  with  Papists: 
neither  are  we  astonished  at  the  bold  attempt 
to  wrest  from  the  kirk  of  Scotland  her  char- 
tered rights. 

Some  may  not  know  that  the  commander  in 
chief  of  the  army  of  the  United  States  publicly 
gave  as  a  toast,  **  The  health  of  the  Pope,  and 
prosperity  to  the  Roman  Catholic  religion;" 
that  in  the  American  states  it  is  now  a  fashion 
to  make  Roman  Catholics  judges  of  our  civil 
courts;  that  the  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States  is  an  avowed  Ro- 
man Catholic;  and  that  the  administration 
which  put  him  in  had  a  correspondence  with 
the  Pope,  which  occasioned  his  modest  Holi- 


87 

ness  to  refuse  any  interference  in  our  politics! 
The  published  reply  of  course  declined  mak- 
ing any  application  for  such  interference,  ex- 
cept for  the  purpose  of  reconciling  contending 
brethren  !  Roman  Catholic  writers  show  that 
this  is  the  regular  way  in  which  the  Popish 
powers  of  Europe  correspond  with  their  dear 
supreme  pastor,  for  the  purpose  aforesaid;  and, 
as  was  intended  in  the  present  case,  the  Pope 
and  his  cardinals,  and  bishops,  and  priests,  and 
people,  all  turn  Democrats  pro  hac  vice.  But 
the  "  brethren"  will  not  stay  reconciled,  but 
have  turned  out  the  Pope's  dear  son,  and  the 
probability  is,  that  in  a  short  time  the  Pope 
and  all  his  followers  will  turn  Whigs;  and  I 
am  afraid  that  the  Whigs  are  too  ready  to 
court  them,  as  the  Courier  and  Inquirer  of 
New  York  is  doing. 

Texas  is  very  small  among  the  nations:  but 
while  they  will  stand  to  their  Declaration  on 
this  subject  of  supreme  interest  to  the  cause  of 
light  and  liberty,  they  have  no  superior  on  the 
face  of  the  earth. 


88 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Far  more  show  than  reality  in  much  of  the  Protestantism  of  the  United 

Stales. 

As  this  is  the  religion  of  the  Bible,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  uninspired  traditions  of  corrupt 
men,  we  are  safe  in  considering  it  the  religion 
of  Christ,  in  opposition  to  that  of  his  pretended 
vicar.  To  discover  the  theology  and  morality 
of  Christianity,  Protestantism  says,  "  Go  to 
the  Bible:"  and  to  the  Bible  it  directs  you,  to 
ascertain  the  true  government,  discipline,  and 
worship  of  the  Christian  church. 

Christianity  is  the  light  of  the  world ;  and 
is  the  true  source  of  its  best  literature,  liberty, 
peace  and  prosperity.  When  the  Christian 
church  is  in  a  sound  state,  it  is  a  lamp  placed 
upon  a  stand ;  it  is  the  salt  of  the  earth.  Ten 
such  men  as  it  then  contains  would  have  saved 
the  cities  of  the  plain  from  a  shower  of  fire 
and  brimstone.  Ten  millions  of  pagans  could 
not  do  so  much,  let  their  wealth  be  ever  so 
great,  or  their  outward  behaviour  ever  so 
fair. 

When  Mr.  Edward  wrote  against  Texas  in 
1836,  they  had  more  than  ten  praying  believers, 
united  to  Christ  and  to  one  another  by  invisible 
ties  ;  for  the  Mexican  Papists  had  not  allowed 
them  to  have  a  visible  Protestant  church. 
Since  the  revolution  they  have  a  number  of 


congregations  organized,  and  are  beginning  to 
erect  buildings  for  worship.  I  heard  a  few 
preachers  of  several  denominations,  from 
England  and  the  United  States,  all  preaching 
the  pure  gospel,  as  far  as  my  knowledge  goes. 
The  Presbytery  of  Brasos,  lately  constituted 
at  Independence,  is  intended  as  a  mother  to 
the  Calvinistic  Presbyterian  church  in  Texas. 
If,  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  steadily  adhere 
to  their  scriptural  constitution,  they  will  always 
treat  the  Scriptures  as  of  paramount  authority; 
and  in  doing  so,  whether  few  or  many,  they 
will  be  a  blessing  in  the  land.  Their  excel- 
lence or  their  value  does  not  depend  upon 
numbers  or  wealth,  but  upon  the  presence  of 
God,  and  their  maintenance  of  his  word,  in 
matters  of  doctrine  and  practice,  government, 
discipline  and  worship.  If  they  or  the  churches 
in  the  United  States  forsake  the  Lord  and  the 
provisions  of  his  word,  the  salt  has  lost  its  sa- 
vour; and  if  the  light  which  is  in  them  be 
darkness,  how  great  is  that  darkness !  There 
is  no  irreligion  so  great  as  that  which  is  sancti- 
fied by  a  high  profession  of  religion.  The 
Christian  is  more  safe  in  the  society  of  the 
world  than  among  such  professors.  A  church 
is  less  injured  by  dissolution  than  by  continu- 
ing under  such  management. 

That  the  American  churches  have  a  con- 
sciousness of  an  approach  to  such  a  condition, 
would  appear  from  the  length  to  which  they 
8* 


90 

have  gone,  in  substituting  people  of  the  world 
for  professors,  in  the  offices  and  rights  of  the 
church.  I  once  asked  a  truly  eminent  Pres- 
byterian Doctor  of  Divinity,  how  he  could  ac- 
count for  the  general  substitution  of  the  non- 
professing  trustee  for  the  scriptural  and  con- 
stitutional deacon.  He  said  that  the  change 
was  reluctantly  made  from  the  necessity  of 
the  case.  He  said  that  men  of  the  world  are 
often  men  of  business,  and  liberaHty,  and  ge- 
nerosity;  whereas,  officers  taken  from  among 
professors  of  religion  often  have  souls  so  in- 
tolerably contracted,  that  a  thousand  of  them 
would  have  room  enough  to  rattle  in  a  mus- 
tard seed!  What  a  church  that  must  be,  of 
which  this  is  a  true  description !  and  what 
pastors  they  must  be,  who  can  be  easy  and 
silent,  and  accessory  to  such  degradation! 

It  was  not  denied,  nor  does  any  one  dispute, 
that  this  remark  appHes  as  correctly  to  the 
scriptural  elder  as  to  the  deacon  ;  so  that  con- 
sistency requires  that  this  officer  also  should 
be  superseded,  as  has  been  the  practice  in 
some  places,  by  the  Committee-man, 

But  when  we  have  disposed  of  elders  and 
deacons,  we  are  far  from  being  done  with 
contracted  souls  and  rusty  rattlers.  Look  at 
that  preacher,  of  whom  a  mischievous  wit  too 
justly  said,  that  it  took  seven  of  his  sermons  to 
convey  one  idea !  Being  in  the  power  of 
worldlings   he  was  afraid  to   teach  the  doc- 


91 

trines  of  religion,  he  was  afraid  to  reprove 
sin,  he  was  almost  afraid  to  tell  his  hearers 
that  ihey  had  souls  even  as  large  as  the  thou- 
sandth part  of  a  mustard-seed,  lest  the  men 
of  business,  and  liberahty,  and  generosity- 
should  dock  his  salary.  A  witness  lately  told 
me  that  on  a  certain  occasion  one  of  them 
came,  half-slewedy  from  the  race-field,  in  a 
great  hurry  to  meet  the  Board,  and  regulate 
the  church.  Yet  the  preacher  had  not  a  soul 
sufficiently  enlarged  by  grace,  to  reprove 
gambling  or  drunkenness,  because  this  would 
be  accounted  an  imprudent  personality,  and 
the  Presbytery  and  Synod  might  come  down 
upon  him  for  imprudence:  and  in  this  he  re- 
sembles a  thousand  others;  all  of  whom  would 
have  room  enough  to  rattle  in  a  mustard-seed. 
Consistency  requires  that  these  should  be  su- 
perseded by  itinerants,  lay-preachers,  city- 
missionaries,  and  non-professing  literary  lec- 
turers and  political  editors,  who  have  souls 
large  enough  to  reprove  vice ;  while  these 
"  D — umb  i) — ogs"  are  pleasing  themselves 
with  the  rattle  of  a  D.  D.  and  a  black  gown, 
and  a  choir  and  an  organ,  and  a  golden  pulpit, 
and  sofa  pews.  But  these  pews  ought  to  be 
soft,  because  they  are  to  accommodate  non- 
professing  pewholders,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  Pa- 
pists and  Liberalists,  who  are  now,  for  the  sake 
of  consistency,  called  to  the  important  duty  of 
choosing  church  officers,  and  regulating  church 


92 

matters,  instead  of  the  communicants,  whose 
souls  are  unhappily  in  these  days  so  small,  and 
dry,  and  husky,  that  they  are  utterly  unfit  to 
discharge  the  functions  of  members,  deacons, 
elders,  or  ministers.  Thus  to  cleanse  the  sanc- 
tuary, the  church  must  be  turned  out  of  doors, 
or  bound  hand  and  foot  in  its  own  house. 

And  this  is  called  Protestantism,  the  religion 
of  the  Bible;  that  precious  Bible  which  pro- 
claims liberty  to  the  captive,  and  the  opening 
of  the  prison  doors  to  them  that  are  bound; 
that  infallible  charter  of  the  church's  rights, 
which  declares  every  one  a  thief  and  a  robber 
who  does  not  come  in  through  the  door. 

One  of  the  blackest  features  of  this  evil  is 
the  reason  which  is  given  for  such  a  subver- 
sion of  a  divine  institution.  It  is  because  men 
of  the  world  are  "  men  of  business,  and  libe- 
rality, and  generosity :"  or,  to  be  plain,  they 
are  men  of  fortune,  and  able  to  make  pur- 
chases and  donations;  and  they  are  men  of 
influence  and  enterprise,  who  can  draw  forth 
the  fortunes  of  others.  Thus  ecclesiastical 
rights,  denied  to  poor  Christians,  are  given  to 
non-professors  for  their  money;  contrary  to 
the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  second  chapter  of 
James,  Simon  Magus  would  pass  for  a  busi- 
ness man,  liberal  and  generous ;  yet  Peter  re- 
jected money  offered  upon  such  degrading 
terms.  Poor  Peter  !  What  a  rough  Christian 
he  was,  like  the  old  Scotch  reformers !     But 


93 

he  was  a  fisherman,  and  probably  swann  the 
streams  and  slept  under  the  trees  like  a  Texan 
hunter,  until  he  was  not  fit  to  be  an  officer  or 
a  member  of  one  of  our  Protestant  churches. 
If  he  had  taken  Simon's  money,  and  got  him- 
self a  D.  D.  and  a  black  gown,  and  proclaimed 
himself  a  Pope,  he  might  have  been  a  gentle- 
man, and  a  man  of  fortune,  and  had  many 
friends,  which  things  are  now  "the  chief  end 
of  man." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Aiitic'hi-isiian  commun  law  punishes  a  man  fur  exposing  curruption 
in  ihe  Unittd  States,  whereas  the  constitution  of  Texas  says  that 
**  In  all  prosecutions  for  libels  the  truth  may  be  given  in  evidence." 
Thieves  always  object  to  a  search. 

This  ragged  pile  of  ponderous,  multifarious, 
unrighteous,  absurd,  and  contradictory  deci- 
sion, appears,  hke  unwritten  constitutions,  and 
Popish  traditions,  a  relic  of  evil  days.  I  am 
sorry  that  Texas  has  lately  adopted  it.  Before 
its  adoption,  however,  she  cast  an  anchor  to 
windward  against  one  of  its  prominent  cor- 
ruptions, and  the  only  one  which  occasions  me 
to  introduce  the  subject.  It  is  the  rejection  of 
evidence  for  the  truth  of  words  alleged  to  be 
slanderous.  In  public  prosecutions  for  libel  it 
rejects  the  truth  when  ofl^ered  in  justification. 
If  iniquity  has  worn  such  a  brazen  front  that 


94 

the  words  need  no  proof,  but  are  palpably 
and  notoriously  true,  then  "  the  greater  the 
truth  the  greater  the  libel;"  says  this  venerated 
monument  of  ancient  wisdom  and  justice!! 
According  to  this  maxim  the  Bible  is  the  great- 
est libel  that  was  ever  published ;  Moses,  and 
the  prophets  and  apostles  were  the  greatest 
slanderers  that  ever  lived;  and  the  prosecu- 
tions and  persecutions  of  Christ  and  all  his 
faithful  servants  and  martyrs,  were  according 
to  sound  law,  and  are  good  precedents  for  fu- 
ture decisions. 

It  is  an  Antichristian  shield  most  used  by 
those  who  most  need  it.  When  M'Gavin  of 
Scotland  wrote  against  the  priests,  they  reco- 
vered damages,  without  allowing  him  to  prove 
the  truth  of  his  statements.  When  a  Pitts- 
burgh editor  made  some  statements  intended 
to  show  that  the  propagation  of  Popery  in 
schools  was  unaccountably  calculated  to  divert 
the  propagation  of  the  race  from  its  legitimate 
channel,  he  was  taught  that  our  Protestant 
country  could  not  admit  proof  of  Popish  cor- 
ruption. The  priests  endeavoured  to  teach  a 
similar  lesson  to  a  Baltimore  editor ;  but  found 
that  laws  were  like  cobwebs,  to  catch  little 
flies  and  let  big  ones  escape. 

Pretended  Protestants  have  found  this  Anti- 
christian muzzle  for  a  faithful  ministry  conve- 
nient for  their  use  also.  Antipas  was  a  pastor 
in  the  Brasos  presbytery,  not  of  Texas,  but  of 


05 

the  United  States.  Mr.  Weathercock,  a  New- 
school  Presbyterian  pastor,  clinging  to  an 
Old-school  presbytery,  nnet  Antipas  in  the 
street,  and  said,  "Do  you  know  that  one  of 
your  communicants  has  several  houses  in  this 
city,  built  and  used  for  the  accommodation  of 
frail  sisters  of  charity?"  Antipas  declared 
his  ignorance ;  but  said  that  if  it  were  true, 
he  would  expect  Mr.  Weathercock  to  be  a 
witness,  or  procure  other  witnesses.  Antipas 
could  see  a  composed  satisfaction  in  the  coun- 
tenance and  manner  of  Weathercock,  as  if  it 
would  not  kill  him  to  see  Antipas  and  this  pa- 
tron of  celibacy  go  to  the  bottom  together. 
It  was  discovered  that  this  gentleman  was 
Mr.  Cyclops,  a  non-professor,  at  first  a  friend 
to  his  pastor,  but  afterward  compelled  to  for- 
sake him,  and  join  his  enemies,  on  account  of 
conscientious  scruples  against  his  imprudent 
and  impolitic  practice  of  preaching  up  all  the 
ten  commandments,  whereas  Cyclops  thought, 
like  the  Papists,  that  nine  were  enough.  In  a 
way  which  we  need  not  explain,  he  became  a 
worthy  member  of  the  Board,  to  regulate  the 
church.  He  and  Mr.  Dingdong,  the  "half- 
slewed"  gentleman  from  the  race-field,  and 
Mr.  Challenge,  a  twin  brother,  and  their  com- 
panions, were  headed  by  General  Santa  Pa- 
tria ;  all  of  them  non-professors,  with  large 
souls,  "  men  of  business,  liberality,  and  gene- 
rosity."    But  Antipas  was  too  contracted  to 


80 

appreciate  their  worth,  and  one  day  told  the 
presbytery  that  if  the  existence  of  the  Cyclo- 
pean nunnery  were  disputed,  there  w^as  testi- 
mony then  in  the  house  to  prove  it.  It  was 
not  disputed,  and  the  advice  of  counsel,  and 
threats  of  the  common  law,  hindered  commu- 
nicants from  embodying  it  in  a  memorial. 

On  one  occasion  a  lawyer  urged  Antipas 
to  study  the  use  of  euphemisms.  In  return 
Antipas  asked  the  lawyer  how  he  would  de- 
scribe the  character  of  General  Santa  Patria. 
The  wary  counsel  answered,  "  Every  one 
knows  him  to  be  a  sev^ere  lender  of  money.^^  A 
friend  of  the  general  one  day  described,  with 
vehement  eloquence,  the  overweening  avarice, 
the  utter  heartlessness,  the  cold-blooded  cru- 
elty, and  the  unprincipled  villany  of  any  one 
who  follows  the  business  of  a  shaver.  At  the 
close  of  his  effusion  he  appeared  to  recollect 
the  application  which  every  one  would  make 
of  his  rhapsody;  and  he  said  rather  hastily, 
"Now  I  wish  you  to  understand  that  I  am 
not  talking  about  General  Santa  Patria." 

Others,  however,  who  feared  God  more 
than  the  common  law,  declared  that  "  Among 
them  [the  trustees  and  their  supporters  mean- 
ing] are  found,  moreover,  Universalists,  Pa- 
pists, swearers,  hars.  Sabbath-breakers,  gam- 
blers and  drunkards."  Professional  counsel 
was  employed  (Antipas  not  objecting,)  to  pro- 
secute before  the  presbytery,  for  these  words, 


97 

and  such  others  as  they  chose.  According  to 
the  divine  law,  and  the  constitution  of  Texas, 
"  in  all  prosecutions  for  libels,  the  truth  may 
be  given  in  evidence."  The  whole  of  the 
above  sentence  was  established  by  testimony. 
The  accuser  himself  did  not  deny  that  it  was 
true.  He  only  desired  Antipas  to  be  convicted 
of  slander,  according  to  the  common  law, 
which  punishes  a  man  for  telling  the  truth. 
Among  all  the  ecclesiastical  judges  who  tried 
the  case,  there  was  only  one  whom  I  know  to 
have  taken  this  ground;  and  he  was  soon 
after  very  near  being  convicted  of  slander  for 
telling  the  truth  against  the  Antichristian  abo- 
mination, with  no  more  prudence  than  Antipas 
exhibited  in  telling  the  truth  against  the  seven 
Presbyterian  abominations. 

Some  may  suppose  that  the  church  courts 
which  were  justly  prominent  in  disowning 
sixty  thousand  Pelagian  Congregationalists, 
would  certainly  take  some  steps  for  disowning 
Universalists,  Papists,  swearers,  liars,  Sabbath- 
breakers,  gamblers  and  drunkards.  But  some 
of  the  offenders  shrewdly  hinted  that  such 
measures  would  empty  the  church ;  and  a 
high  presbyter  expressed  a  great  unwillingness 
to  destroy  a  tribe  in  Israel !     What  a  tribe  ! 

In  documents  presented  by  them  they  had, 
upon  the  professed  ground  of  their  charter,* 

*  See  Appendix,  No.  2,  for  a  Charter  and  By-Laws  of 
anotlier  sort. 
9 


98 


declared  themselves  members  of  the  

Presbyterian  church.  To  this  day  they  con- 
tinue to  be  thus  recognized.  The  priests  would 
demand  confession,  contrition,  penance,  and  a 
regular  absolution :  but  none  of  these  Popish 
proceedings  have  been  observed  by  the  pres- 
bytery. Permitting  the  true  church  to  depart 
penniless,  they  have  secured  their  property  to 
their  enemies,  under  their  name,  and  the  organ 
of  the  society  lately  reports  them  as  in  a  flou- 
rishing condition. 

Last  night  I  heard  a  lecture  representing 
the  Jesuits  as  in  a  flourishing  state.  How 
could  they  be  otherwise,  since  their  Presbyte- 
rian proceedings  in  the  Sandwich  Islands? 

Before  they  could  arrive  at  this  happy  con- 
summation they  had  to  wake  up  some  mem- 
bers of  the  presbytery  which  had  not  attended 
much  for  a  long  time.  Among  them  was 
Weathercock,  the  New-school  hanger-on;  who, 
after  his  first  vote  for  sanctifying  the  nunne- 
ries, against  which  he  had  given  information 
as  a  nuisance,  found  that  the  casting  vote  of 
the  moderator  would  do  to  finish  the  matter, 
and  slipped  out  like  a  man  that  had  seen  a  ghost. 
They  are  now  sweetly  sheltered  under  the 
wings  of  the  presbytery  and  the  common  law, 
as  if  neither  the  light  nor  the  lightning  of  hea- 
ven could  reach  them  there;  and  can  talk  as 
sentimentally  as  their  patrons,  about  the  wick- 


99 

edness  of  Texas,  in  whose  capital  I  preached 
against  seven  abominations,  without  any  one 
supposing  that  it  was  imprudent  or  improper. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  reason  that  the  character  of  the  United  States  sometimes  appears 
superior  to  that  of  Texas  is,  that  some  of  their  churches,  which  form 
tlieir  character  in  part,  hold  too  much  the  Exoteric  and  Esoteric  po- 
licy of  the  Pagan  philosophers  and  the  Popish  priests. 

Much  of  a  country's  character  depends 
upon  its  own  policy  concerning  it.  Great  ef- 
fects are  produced  by  the  testimony  of  the 
church,  and  its  policy  in  testifying.  It  is  hard 
for  the  best  judge  always  to  escape  from  the 
mental  reservations  and  equivocations,  the  de- 
ceit and  falsehood,  in  which  men  indulge  un- 
der the  cloak  of  religion.  A  late  anonymous 
WTiter,  professing  to  be  a  convert  from  the 
Popish  priesthood,  affirms  that  the  exoteric  and 
esoteric  policy  of  the  ancient  Pagan  philoso- 
phers is  in  full  operation  among  the  Roman 
Catholic  priesthood.  I  should  be  glad  if  it 
had  gone  no  farther.  The  exoteric  of  Pagan- 
ism says  that  there  are  gods,  and  a  future  state 
of  rewards  and  punishments;  the  esoteric  de- 
nies both.  The  exoteric  of  Popery  presents 
the  celibacy  and  poverty  of  the  priesthood: 


100 

the  esoteric  makes  havoc  in  the  virtue  and  pro- 
perty of  the  community. 

Those  who  expose  their  hypocrisy  in  a  faith- 
ful manner,  and  from  a  right  motive,  are 
humbly  walking  with  those  who  rebuked  the 
inconsistent  Pharisees,  for  giving  alms  with 
one  hand,  and  destroying  widows'  houses  with 
the  other.  Those  ministers  who  are  utterly 
averse  to  bearing  witness  for  God  against  fla- 
grant immoralities,  ought  to  retire  from  office 
with  a  D.  D.,  for  they  are  dumb  dogs  which 
cannot  bark.  And  those  who  confine  their 
rebukes  to  other  countries  and  other  churches 
may  resemble  dogs  which  are  quiet  while  the 
burglar  is  in  the  house,  and  which  are  howl- 
ing at  the  moon  the  rest  of  the  night.  They 
construct  such  a  testimony  as  is  not  a  burden 
like  that  of  the  ancient  prophets.  The  burden 
of  the  faithful  witness  is  increased  by  their 
neglect,  and  too  often  by  that  treacherous  cru- 
elty which  is  sometimes  connected  with  cow- 
ardice. What  think  ye  of  a  watchman  on  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem,  who  never  winds  his  horn 
except  for  Samaria,  and  will  sacrifice  any  bro- 
ther watchman  who  will  blow  an  alarm  for  the 
Holy  City. 

The  Calvinistic  Presbyterian  church  is,  in  a 
certain  sense,  my  Jerusalem.  Tn  it  I  was  or- 
dained. One  of  its  congregations  unanimously 
called  Antipas  as  their  pastor.  Before  his  ae» 
ceptance  they  unanimously  agreed  to  the  most 


101 

rigid  principles  and  practices  contained  in  this 
publication,  in  our  constitution,  or  in  the  Bible.* 
Soon  afterward  a  prayerless,  swearing  Sab- 
bath-breaker refused  to  repent  or  reform. 
During  ten  pastoral  visits,  conducted  with  af- 
fectionate importunity  and  prayer,  he  despised 
instruction  and  defied  authority.  He  was  then 
regularly  accused,  tried,  and  condemned. 

Instead  of  appealing,  he  and  the  Board  of 
Trustees  took  measures  more  efficient.  They 
stopped  the  pastor's  salary,  precluded  commu- 
nicants from  the  pews,  and  filled  them  with 
creatures  of  their  own  choosing,  so  as  to  oc- 
casion the  remark  afterward  to  be  true,  that 
among  them  and  their  supporters  are  Univer- 
salists.  Papists,  swearers,  liars.  Sabbath-break- 
ers, gamblers  and  drunkards.  These  carried 
every  thing  before  them.  About  a  year  they 
kept  the  congregation  from  singing,  because 
the  spiritual  authorities  would  not  let  a  divine 
ordinance  be  conducted  by  a  specimen  of  in- 
decency and  profanity,  set  up  by  them  as  a 
Colonel  Plucky  to  throw  contempt  on  God  and 
his  house.  At  a  congregational  meeting,  held 
in  the  church,  I  saw  a  trustee  strike  a  deacon 
in  the  face,  after  which  commencement  they 
proceeded  to  beat  and  bloody  and  tear  off  the 
clothes  of  officers,  members  and  friends  of  the 
church,  who  were  but  ill  prepared  for  such  a 

*  See  Appendix,  No.  4. 
9* 


102 

mode  of  electing  trustees,  and  therefore  gave 
ihem  the  ground. 

Among  the  many  exploits  of  valour  per- 
formed on  that  occasion,  permit  me  to  record 
one  or  two.  After  Mr.  Challenge,  who  struck 
the  first  blow,  had  beaten  several,  he  stepped 
up  to  the  pastor,  who  was  standing  in  his  own 
pew,  and  challenged  him  to  a  fist  fight  in  the 
aisle  of  the  church,  forthwith.  General  Santa 
Patria,  that  "  severe  lender  of  money,"  was 
at  the  head  of  their  forces,  whom  he  called 
his  Donnyhrook  hoys.  Four  or  five  of  his  he- 
roes were  trying  to  draw  and  quarter  one  of 
the  church's  friends,  and  the  General  was  seen 
firmly  holding  the  right  arm  of  the  person  thus 
assailed.  A  powerful  exertion  disengaged  the 
arm,  but  left  the  coat  sleeve  as  a  trophy  to 
some  great  warrior  whose  finger  nails  left  an 
abrasion  of  the  skin  which  the  arm  long  re- 
tained. 

Who  this  great  warrior  was  has  never  yet 
been  ascertained,  as  the  General  modestly  de- 
clines the  honour.  When  the  affair  was  inves- 
tigated before  an  alderman,  a  witness  deposed 
that  when  he  saw  the  General  holding  a  man, 
w^hile  others  were  beating  him,  he  seized  him 
and  asked  him  what  he  was  doing.  Said  the 
General,  "  I  am  saving  the  man."  "  And  what 
did  you  answer  to  this?"  asked  the  Denny- 
brook  lawyer.  "I  told  him  that  he  was  a 
COWARDLY  rascal;"    said   the    witness.     The 


103  ^r 

same  subject  was  before  the  presbytery,  and 
the  same  testimony  given,  the  General  being 
present.  "  If  you  had  said  that,"  observed 
the  hero,  "  I  would  have  beaten  your  brains 
out."  "  Oh,  we  are  very  brave  before  the 
presbytery !"  observed  Antipas. 

This  great  man  and  his  six  official  aids  in 
saving  the  church  by  stripping  and  beating 
them,  wrote  and  signed  a  letter  to  the  presby- 
tery, threatening  Antipas  with  personal  injury, 
if  the  presbytery  did  not  remove  him.  Anti- 
pas, seeing  that  impunity  for  past  violence  was 
w^hetting  their  appetite  for  blood,  wrote  and 
signed  another  letter,  by  which  he  hoped  to 
bring  the  whole  dispute  to  a  speedy  termina- 
tion, with  but  little  expense,  and  upon  the  very 
plan  proposed  by  the  General  and  his  staff. 
He  proposed  that  General  Santa  Patria  be  the 
only  one  to  inflict  the  personal  injury;  that 
Antipas  be  the  only  one  to  receive  it;  that 
they  use  none  but  nature's  arms,  as  law,  and 
argument,  and  justice  are  rejected;  and  that 
matters  in  dispute  go  to  the  party  whose  leader 
shall  keep  the  field.  Although  these  terms 
originated  in  the  General's  own  movement,  he 
never  agreed  to  them,  but  only  answered, 
months  afterwards,  by  some  hasty  verbal  ex- 
pression, as  vague  as  the  one  used  to  the  wit- 
ness about  beating  his  brains  out:  and  that 
too  in  the  presence  of  the  presbytery,  and  in 
violation  of  order,  as  before.     Although  some 


lt)4 

of  the  presbytery  appeared  zealous  to  con- 
demn and  banish  without  hearing  the  intended 
victim,  a  divine  hand  kept  them  from  succeed- 
ing. 

The  General  was  as  unsuccessful  in  an  effort 
in  the  civil  department.  Antipas  was  brought 
before  an  alderman  under  a  charge  of  leading 
in  a  riot.  He  was  happy  to  think  that  he  was 
following  his  blessed  Master,  and  the  holy 
martyrs  to  the  tribunal,  and  probably  to  prison 
and  to  death.  God  was  his  only  witness,  yet 
the  alderman  could  not  bind  him  over,  merely 
for  seeing  his  friends  stript  and  beaten,  and  for 
refusing  a  challenge  to  an  amateur  fist-fight  in 
a  church.  His  escape  from  prison  was  not 
his  own  fault,  for  in  such  a  cause  he  was  wil- 
ling to  go:  neither  was  it  the  fault  of  the  wit- 
nesses ;  for  they  were  still  more  willing  to  send 
him.  But  from  their  swearing  before  the  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  tribunals,  Anlipas  has  learned 
much  of  the  moral  condition  of  this  commu- 
nity, and  much  of  the  cause  of  that  condition. 

Some  people  seem  surprised  at  the  accumu- 
lation of  frauds  and  falsehoods,  perjuries  and 
forgeries  in  the  commercial  and  political  world. 
It  does  seem  strange,  when  we  consider  the 
great  increase  of  churches  in  numbers  and 
wealth  and  splendour;  in  societies  and  boards 
and  doctors ;  and  how  flourishing  they  are  re- 
ported to  be.     This  is  the  exoteric  of  the  mat- 


105 

ter.  The  esoteric  is  rottenness  and  dead  men's 
bones. 

The  exoteric  of  a  solemn  ordination  is, 
"Do  you  promise  to  be  zealous  and  faithful  in 
maintaining  the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  the 
purity  and  peace  of  the  church;  whatever 
persecution  or  opposition  may  arise  unto  you 
on  that  account  r'  The  esoteric  is,  "  I  cannot 
maintain  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  because  that 
would  give  offence.  I  cannot  maintain  the 
purity  of  the  church,  because  I  should  empty 
it  of  people,  and  they  would  empty  it  of  a 
pastor ;  and  how  imprudent  it  is  to  get  into 
scrapes,  and  be  cast  out  of  the  society  of  one's 
clerical  brethren !" 

In  a  ministerial  installation.  Faithfulness, 
Faithfulness,  resounds  in  seven  solemn  thun- 
ders, in  the  charges  to  the  pastor  and  the  peo- 
ple. This  is  the  exoteric.  The  esoteric  endea- 
vours to  break  the  neck  of  a  pastor  who  will 
not  break  his  vow ;  and  it  rewards  an  Iscariot 
band  who  threaten  and  rob  him,  and  endeavour 
to  swear  him  into  prison. 

When  a  Jesuitical  worldling,  or  a  mere 
party  drone,  preaches  a  church  to  death,  his 
departure  by  death  or  other  removal  must  be 
noticed  in  dismissions,  recommendations,  eulo- 
gies and  puffs,  in  records  and  religious  papers. 
He  is  represented  as  an  apostolical  preacher, 
a  Solomon  and  a  saint.  Readers  who  never 
knew  him  are  amazed  that  the  church   or  the 


106 

land  can  survive  such  a  loss.  This  is  the  ex- 
oteric.  The  esoteric  is,  "  Poor  fellov^,  what  a 
goose  he  was !"  or,  "  Herod  himself  was  not 
so  great  a  foxJ'^ 

Some  years  ago  an  eminent  seminary  was 
crying  Peace,  peace  ;  the  church  is  in  no  dan- 
ger;  except  from  such  alarmists  as  the  detest- 
able iVntipas.  This  is  the  exoteric.  The  eso- 
teric is,  If  we  had  made  a  bold  movement 
twenty  years  ago,  the  church  might  have  been 
saved;  but  now  it  is  too  late!!  Just  after  these 
public  declarations  of  peace  and  safety,  and 
these  private  groans  of  cowardly  despair,  the 
God  of  the  Bible  and  the  reformation  brought 
up  the  church  to  the  maintenance  of  Christian 
doctrine  and  order.  This  eminent  seminary 
then  chimed  in  with  the  General  Assembly  in 
disowning  sixty  thousand  communicants;  and 
in  a  public  declaration  that  errors  had  been 
embraced  which  "  affect  the  very  foundation 
of  the  system  of  Gospel  truth  ;"  and  which, 
if  persisted  in,  must  indefinitely  promote  "  the 
most  RADICAL  and  pestiferous  heresies.''  This 
is  the  exoterical,  to  which  they  solemnly  put 
their  Doubly  Dignified  hands.  What  is  the 
esoterical?  We  have  safe  possession  of  our 
Boards  and  seminaries  and  endowments;  funds 
amounting  to  $175,000  have  been  justly  se- 
cured to  us  by  the  honourable  Supreme  Court; 
we  will  now  set  up  a  New  School  candidate 
for  the  chair  of  the  General  Assembly,  and 


107 

show  to  the  world  that  the  church  will  not 
stand  by  the  Old  School  Assembly  of  '37  in 
their  radical  measures.  This  seminary  is 
called  eminent,  because  among  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal "  princes,  the  governors  and  captains,  the 
judges,  the  treasurers,  the  counsellors,  the  she- 
riffs, and  all  the  rulers  of  the  provinces,"  they 
have  something  like  the  standing  of  *'  an  image 
of  gold,  whose  height  was  three  score  cubits, 
and  the  breadth  thereof  six  cubits."  "  Then  an 
herald  cried  aloud,"  and  keeps  crying  every 
year,  "To  you  it  is  commanded.  Oh  people, 
nations,  and  languages,  (Oh  churches,  presby- 
teries, and  synods,)  that  at  what  time  ye  hear 
the  sound  of  the  cornet,  flute,  harp,  sackbut, 
psaltery,  dulcimer,  and  all  kinds  of  music," 
whether  Old  School  or  New  School,  Radical 
or  Latitudinarian,  ye  shall  fall  down  and  give 
due  homage,  in  praise  and  in  pence,  to  the 
most  worthy  seminary,  or  refuse,  at  the  peril 
of  a  furnace,  with  the  heat  of  which  my  ther- 
mometer is  quite  familiar.  This  is  the  exoteric. 
The  esoteric  is,  that  seminary  has  done  us 
more  harm  than  any  other  enemy! 

The  exotejic  of  Protestant  Presbyterianism 
is,  that  the  divine  Redeemer  is  the  Supreme 
and  Infallible  Head  of  the  church ;  that  his 
ministers  and  people  are  free,  and  that  while 
they  obey  him,  and  obey  their  brethren  in  the 
Lord,  they  do  well.  The  esoteric  is,  that  an 
aspirant,  great  or  small,  worthy  or  unworthy, 


108 

useful  or  mischievous,  succeeds  in  mounting 
the  saddle,  and  surrounding  himself  with  a 
mongrel  corps  of  connexions  and  dependents, 
satellites  and  sycophants;  all  of  whom  forth- 
with become  great  men,  ride  over  their  more 
honest  neighbours,  and  claim  implicit  obedi- 
ence, in  virtue  of  their  wearing  the  epaulet  of 
the  autocrat.  If  any  officer  be  found  in  the 
ecclesiastical  gate,  who  will  not  bow  to  a 
usurper  or  his  favourites  in  preference  to 
Christ,  then  let  a  gallows  be  made  of  fifty  cu- 
bits high,  and  let  him  be  hanged  thereon,  even 
if  it  be  without  a  full  and  fair  hearing. 

The  church  is  exoterically  the  salt  of  the 
earth,  and  is  full  of  pompous  bustle  in  scatter- 
ing itself  throughout  the  earth.  That  body 
which  professes  the  purest  creed,  which  was 
prominent  in  a  recent  reformation,  and  which 
is  built  upon  the  hill  of  a  powerful  denomina- 
tion, knowingly  cherishes  esoterically,  Univer- 
salists  and  Papists,  swearers,  liars  and  Sab- 
bath-breakers, gamblers  and  drunkards.  Are 
these  the  salt  of  the  earth?  Would  Texas  be 
profited  by  the  transfer  of  such  a  flourishing 
congregation?  I  solemnly  declare  that  I  know 
not  such  a  nest  in  their  republic,  including  their 
army  and  navy.  It  w^ould  be  better  for  it  to 
have  Linnville  burned  again,  or  la  Fite  revived, 
than  to  be  invaded  by  such  a  synagogue. 

I  had  some  suspicion  of  the  true  state  of 
the   case,  when  I  set  sail  for  that  country. 


109 

Two  things  induced  an  humble  longing,  that, 
Hke  Jonah,  I  might  be  thrown  to  the  sharks. 
One  was  that  I  was  myself  a  great  sinner,  and 
should  rejoice  to  be  delivered  from  evil,  and 
received  into  the  liedeemer's  rest:  another 
was,  that  I  saw  and  knew  by  a  fair  and  per- 
sonal examination,  such  a  sort  and  degree  of 
corruption  in  that  Jerusalem  which  I  loved 
better  than  life,  that  like  Elijah  under  the  ju- 
niper tree,  my  soul  was  sick  of  life.  Often 
have  I  thought  of  him,  when  in  my  solitary 
journey,  I  rested  under  a  live-oak,  and  saw 
and  admired  these  inferior  glories  of  Elijah's 
God.  That  God  knew^  that  it  was  he  who  had 
graciously  compelled  me  to  be  faithful  with 
the  loss  of  all  things. 

Since  the  writing  of  the  last  sentence  here 
recorded,  I  have  been  faithfully  warned,  that 
nothing  which  a  man  says  of  immoralities, 
from  the  perpetration  of  which  he  has  been  a 
sufferer,  can  have  any  weight  in  the  commu- 
nity; because  all  will  believe  the  exposure  to 
be  the  result  of  self-interest,  or  personal  resent- 
ment. Out  of  respect  to  the  quarter  from 
which  this  argument  came,  I  wish  to  meet  it. 
I  wish  to  tell  the  honest  truth  with  respect  to 
this  suffering,  as  well  as  the  use  which  is 
made  of  it.  When  on  the  ocean,  I  had  an 
argument  with  a  learned  infidel,  w^ho,  though 
personally  friendly,  politely  endeavoured  to 
trace  all  that  I  said  for  religion,  to  the  preju- 
10 


110 

dice  of  education  among  orthodox  Presbyte- 
rians, and  connexion  with  them.  I  told  him 
sincerely,  that  my  attachment  to  Calvinistic 
Presbyterianism  was,  by  the  grace  of  God,  in 
despite  of  the  considerations  to  which  he  re- 
ferred it:  that  if  he  would  sum  up  all  the 
wrongs  which  I  ever  received  from  Jews,  Pa- 
gans, and  Papists,  from  Universalists,  Unita- 
rians, and  infidels,  they  would  not  near  equal 
the  wrongs  which  I  had  suffered  from  ortho- 
dox Presbyterian  ministers,  elders,  deacons, 
trustees,  and  pew-holders.  When  they  have 
sometimes  behaved  with  brutality,  members  of 
other  denominations,  even  Jews  and  Catholics, 
have  sometimes  treated  me  with  fraternal  af- 
fection. Yet  this  did  not  in  the  least  diminish 
my  affection  for  the  true  system  of  religion, 
because  it  was  from  God,  who  never  wronged 
me,  but  forgave  my  own  sins,  and  saved  me 
from  the  malice  of  others.  If  my  connexion 
could  move  me  to  any  thing,  it  would  be  to 
flatter  them,  as  they  flatter  one  another  in 
their  sins,  or  to  forsake  them,  and  flatter  the 
world,  as  they  do.  This  is  the  way  to  titles, 
popularity,  and  wealth.  That  man  must  be 
very  much  heated,  who  knows  our  affairs,  and 
will  deny  that  going  with  the  current  would, 
according  to  human  calculation,  have  gained 
me  as  happy  a  portion  as  my  neighbours.  I 
early  sat  down  and  counted  the  cost  of  the 
course  which  I  have  taken.     I  have  now^  fol- 


in 

lowed  it  long  enough  to  know,  what  no  man 
can  know,  who  does  not  try  it.  My  great 
ambition  is  to  be  a  faithful  servant  of  God  and 
his  church,  and  to  take  the  consequences,  like 
a  good  soldier,  with  faith  and  patience.  I 
have  endeavoured  to  declare  the  whole  coun- 
sel of  God,  whether  men  would  hear  or  for- 
bear; and  a  man  who  will  sacrifice  every 
thing,  and  incur  every  danger  for  the  sake  of 
doing  wrong,  or  doing  right  from  a  malicious 
motive,  makes  a  bad  bargain.  As  far  as  I 
know  myself,  I  do  not  hate,  but  love  sinners; 
and  if  I  did  not,  1  firmly  believe  that  those 
unspeakable  comforts  with  which  God  has  fill- 
ed my  soul  in  adversity,  would  utterly  vanish. 
For  the  sake  of  these  comforts,  I  bless  God  for 
the  afflictions.  Although  they  have  sickened 
my  soul,  yet  it  has  been  but  for  a  moment,  and 
a  visit  from  the  great  Physician  has  made  the 
pain  productive  of  unutterable  pleasure.  I  did 
not  wish  to  see  again  the  place  where  the 
deepest  corruption  was  flagrantly  cherished  by 
church  authorities:  but  since  God  has  so  or- 
dered, and  ordered  me  to  testify  against  it,  I 
am  perfectly  willing  to  go  to  prison  and  to  the 
grave,  in  winter  or  summer,  in  his  blessed  ser- 
vice. In  the  light  of  God's  countenance,  I  feel 
no  more  afraid  of  generals  and  D.  D.'s,  of  fines 
and  imprisonments,  than  I  felt  afraid  of  the 
Mexican  Indians,  or  the  wolves  of  Texas. 
Sometimes   iniquity  becomes  so  strong,  that 


112 

nothing  but  blood  will  open  men's  eyes  to  its 
enormity.  If,  instead  of  being  enriched  by 
their  money,  I  should  die  to  do  them  good, 
they  may  then  see  whether  I  loved  them. 

As  to  the  incompetency  of  testimony,  when 
the  witness  has  suffered  wrong,  I  would  ask,  is 
Moses  a  good  witness  against  Egypt,  or  against 
Israel  ?  He  suffered  wrong  from  both.  Is  Jere- 
miah to  be  set  down  as  interested,  prejudiced, 
and  incompetent  to  testify  against  gross  public 
corruption,  because  it  put  him  into  a  dun- 
geon? Does  David's  persecution  by  the  court 
and  the  army,  disqualify  him  for  testifying 
against  Saul  and  Doeg?  At  such  conclusions, 
even  a  devout  Papist  would  cross  himself  and 
say, 

'*  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and  John, 
Pwrtect  the  bed  that  we  lie  on." 

Were  these  four  evangelists,  and  the  other 
writers  of  the  New  Testament,  unworthy  wit- 
nesses, because  they  declared  things  which 
they  knew,  and  from  which  they  had  suffered? 
The  matters  which  I  have  stated,  were  publicly 
investigated,  and  engraven  on  the  records  of 
church  courts,  which  had  been  foremost  in 
discarding  myriads  of  Pelagian  Congregation- 
alists,  and  who  were  as  solemnly  bound  to  de- 
liver the  church  from  Universalists  and  Papists, 
swearers,  liars  and  Sabbath-breakers,  gam- 
blers and  drunkards. 


113 

When  in  a  darker  age  and  dispensation, 
Benjamin  transgressed  at  Gibeah,  did  the  rest 
of  the  tribes  patronise  the  offenders,  and  pro- 
nounce them  in  a  flourishing  condition?  "All 
the  people  arose  as  one  man"  against  them, 
not  only  to  pronounce,  but  to  execute  the  sen- 
tence of  the  law.  The  church  courts  have 
strangely  declared  them  guilty,  and  treated 
them  as  meritorious,  to  the  manifest  encour- 
agement of  corruption. 

"Now  the  sons  of  Eli  were  sons  of  Belial; 
they  knew  not  the  Lord."  So  say  the  church 
courts  against  these  offenders.  Eli  said,  "Nay, 
my  sons;  for  it  is  no  good  report  that  I  hear: 
ye  make  the  Lord's  people  to  transgress."  Yet 
in  their  impenitent,  unreformed  state,  Eli  con- 
tinued them  as  officers  in  good  standing,  as 
has  been  done  in  the  present  case;  and  the 
Spirit  of  infalhbility  has  decided,  that  in  doing 
so,  he  honoured  his  wicked  sons  more  than  his 
Maker;  who  therefore  told  him,  "Them  that 
honour  me,  I  will  honour;  and  they  that  de- 
spise me,  shall  be  lightly  esteemed."  *'  In  that 
day,  I  will  perform  against  Eli  all  things  which 
I  have  spoken  concerning  his  house;  when  I 
begin,  I  will  also  make  an  end.  For  I  have 
told  him,  that  I  will  judge  his  house  forever, 
for  the  iniquity  which  he  knoweth:  because 
his  sons  made  themselves  vile,  and  he  restrain- 
ed them  not." 

The  great  secret  was  then,  as  it  is  now. 
10* 


114 

Eli  and  his  sons  had  all  good  appetites;  and 
God  told  them,  that  both  the  trangression  and 
the  neglect  of  discipline,  were  "  to  make  your- 
selves fat  with  the  chiefest  of  all  the  offerings  of 
Israel,  my  people."  If  all  these  offerings  had 
been  withdrawn,  until  they  performed  their 
duty,  they  would  probably  have  been  more 
conscientious. 

The  purse  of  $175,000,  offered  to  the  win- 
ner in  the  late  race  of  reformation,  gave  an 
unwonted  beauty  to  orthodoxy,  and  greatly 
increased  the  number  and  zeal  of  its  advocates. 
Many  who  once  spurned  and  persecuted  An- 
tipas  as  a  disturber  of  the  peace,  now  occupy 
the  ground  for  which  he  suffered;  and  there  is 
not  one  of  them  but  what  would  come  com- 
pletely and  immediately  to  the  mark,  for  a 
moral,  as  well  as  a  doctrinal  reformation,  if 
their  trustees  and  pew-holders  were  to  come 
to  a  unanimous  determination,  that  ewery  min- 
ister's salary  should  cease,  until  measures  were 
adopted  and  executed,  for  delivering  the  church 
from  the  guilt  and  disgrace  of  fostering  Uni- 
versalists  and  Papists,  swearers,  liars  and  Sab- 
bath-breakers, gamblers  and  drunkards.  If  a 
reward  of  a  D.  D.  and  a  splendid  dwelling, 
and  a  wealthy  salary,  were  given  to  every 
minister  in  our  connexion,  who  should  succeed 
in  delivering  the  deacon  from  the  usurping 
trustee,  and  the  communicant  from  the  Si- 
monaical  pew-holder,  as  they  have  already 


115 

delivered  the  elder  from  the  committee-man, 
there  would  soon  be  a  marvellous  illumination 
of  understandings  and  consciences  on  these 
subjects.  Every  authority  from  Scripture, 
every  section  of  our  Constitution,  every  word 
of  Calvin's  Institutes,  and  every  argument  and 
illustration  from  analogy,  would  be  like  a  nail 
in  a  sure  place.  Instead  of  making  passive  obe- 
dience and  non-resistance  the  cardinal  graces, 
the  land  would  teem  with  soldiers  for  the  holy 
war.  There  would  be  an  unaccountable  con- 
version of  every  prudent  Barnabas  into  a  faith- 
ful Boanerges.  Instead  of  being  magnetized  to 
sleep  by  the  sapient  stupor  of  dumb  dogs,  the 
country  would  be  startled  into  life,  by  the 
horrific  howling  of  a  thousand  wolves. 

But  the  communicants  must  continue  to  be 
sold  to  the  pew-holders,  the  deacons  to  the 
trustees,  and  humble  Christians  to  the  seven 
abominations,  until  a  reformation  shall  be  pro- 
fitable to  the  clergy,  or  until  the  clergy,  like 
their  reformed  fathers,  shall  graciously  prefer 
the  favour  of  God,  and  the  spiritual  prosperity 
of  his  church,  to  earthly  tithes,  titles,  and 
temples. 

When  this  spirit  is  wanting  among  the 
clergy,  it  will  evaporate  from  the  church,  and 
tfie  community  corrupts,  because  the  salt  has 
lost  its  savour.  Among  human  beings,  whether 
Popish  or  Protestant,  the  want  of  real  religion 
is  made  up  by  an  endless  increase  of  outward 


116 

show,  and  self-glorified  liberality,  which  only 
nourish  their  pride,  avarice,  and  ambition. 
To  these  amiable  graces,  they  give  the  name 
of  meekness,  prudence,  and  charity;  the  latter 
of  which  is  so  lavished  upon  worldly,  wicked 
men,  that  there  is  none  to  spare  for  a  disinte- 
rested, faithful  reprover  of  iniquity,  even  when 
he  confines  himself  to  his  own  parochial  limits. 
If,  after  the  unworthy  invasion  of  those  limits, 
he  find  himself  obliged  to  reprove  clerical  pro- 
tectors of  gross  and  indubitable  corruption,  it 
is  not  because  he  loves  the  work  of  rebuking 
these  earthly  supremes  and  infallibles,  more 
than  he  loves  the  gibbet:  but  because  the  pro- 
vidence of  God  and  their  own  act,  have  called 
him  out  of  his  beloved  seclusion,  to  a  public 
testimony  for  that  God  whom  the  sons  of  Eli 
have  insulted,  and  for  that  church  which  they 
have  knowingly  corrupted.  If  this  testimony 
may  be  accepted  of  God,  his  blessing  will  fol- 
low it,  either  in  the  repentance  or  the  confu- 
sion of  the  guilty. 

After  Haman's  disappointment,  they  ought 
not  to  calculate  upon  establishing  their  abused 
power  by  desertions,  proscriptions,  and  end- 
less calumnies.  Condemning  the  innocent,  and 
justifying  the  guilty,  are  both  alike  odious  to 
God,  and  dangerous  to  men,  and  especially  to 
ministers.  They  well  know  that  God  has  long 
protected  an  obnoxious  individual  against  these 
weapons,   although   they  have   been  wielded 


117 

against  him  by  ordained  platoons.  They  know 
that  in  the  earlier  stages  of  the  late  refornna- 
tion,  he  acted  and  sufiered  alone:  yet  his  des- 
pised testimony  against  the  intrusions  of  Pe- 
lagian Congregationalism,  has  been  unexpect- 
edly established  even  in  his  lifetime;  and  that 
too  by  persons  who  would  be  glad  to  oblite- 
rate all  such  acts  and  sufferings  from  the  page 
of  history.  That  was  the  glorious  and  worthy 
work  of  an  Omnipotent  Agent.  He  yet  lives, 
and  loves  his  own  cause. 

Some  may  feel  very  confident  of  my  defeat, 
from  the  belief  that  I  now  stand  alone,  in  as- 
serting the  purity  of  the  church,  and  the  rights 
and  liberties  of  deacons  and  Christians,  against 
the  intrusions  and  usurpations  of  trustees  and 
pew-holders,  Universalists  and  Papists,  swear- 
ers, liars  and  Sabbath-breakers,  gamblers  and 
drunkards.  Let  them  trust,  if  they  will  trust, 
in  generals  and  their  hosts;  let  them  trust  in 
money  made  by  distilling  and  rectifying,  and 
retailing  and  receiving,  and  shaving ! !  My  con- 
fidence is  in  the  Lord  of  hosts,  a  tried  friend, 
who  has  upheld  me  alike  in  the  city  and  the 
desert.  I  know  in  whom  I  have  trusted,  and 
that  wherever  I  live,  or  wherever  I  die,  whe- 
ther here  or  in  Texas,  on  the  ocean,  or  be- 
yond it,  God  will  give  success  to  the  good 
cause,  and  will  measure  with  the  line  of  de- 
struction, the  exoteric  and  esoteric  policy  of 
Pagans,  Papists,  and  Pharisees. 


118 

Divine  smiles  of  acceptance  and  encourage- 
ment, brighter  than  a  Texan  sun,  fairer  than  a 
Texan  moon,  and  blander  than  the  breeze 
kissing  their  flowery  prairies,  assure  me  that 
my  labour  shall  not  be  lost,  nor  my  sufferings 
be  in  vain.  If  God  should  permit  those  who 
endeavoured  to  swear  away  my  character, 
and  imprison  my  person,  to  renew  their  as- 
saults, and  procure  more  liberal  and  success- 
ful witnesses,  for  the  one  or  the  other,  I  trust 
that  they  will  find  me,  as  they  have  hitherto 
found  me,  willing  to  face  the  brigades  of  my 
Master's  foes,  and  willing,  in  the  faith  of  his 
promises,  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  his  good 
cause,  and  in  his  sweet  service;  loving  my 
enemies,  and  rejoicing  in  the  good  of  his 
people,  and  in  the  hope  of  salvation  to  my 
helpless,  guilty,  unw^orthy  soul,  through  the 
blood  and  righteousness  and  spirit  of  my  divine 
Redeemer. 


119 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Texas  under  a  great  disadvantage,  from  a  dearth  of  ecclesiastical  titles 
of  nobility,  indispensable  to  liberty  and  religion  :  whereas  literary 
clouds  Imve  long  sprinkled  the  United  States  with  D.  D.'s,  as  libe- 
rally as  that  blessed  man,  Moses,  scattered  L.  L.'s  (lice  and  locusts) 
through  the  land  of  Egypt. 

The  truly  learnedbiographer  of  Dr.  Rodgers, 
(Dr.  Miller,  now  of  Princeton,)  asserts  **  the 
gradual  depreciation  of  the  value  of  honorary 
degrees  in  later  times,"  both  in  Europe  and 
America.  **  What  a  contrast,"  lie  exclaims, 
**  between  that  state  of  public  sentiment,  and 
public  habit,  which  permitted  President  Dick' 
insoriy  President  Burr,  President  Edwards,  Pre- 
sident JDavies,  the  apostolic  Tennents,  Mr. 
Whitefield,  and  a  long  catalogue  of  similar 
men,  to  descend  to  their  graves  without  a  Doc- 
torate; and  that  which  now  lavishes  the  title, 
on  juvenility,  on  ignorance,  and  on  weakness, 
with  a  frequency  altogether  unworthy  of  the 
dispensers  of  literary  honour  !" 

When  honorary  statues  were  the  rage,  a 
man  was  once  asked  why  there  was  none  for 
him.  "  I  would  rather  be  asked  why  there  is 
none,  than  why  there  is  one  for  me,"  was  his 
answer.  Which  is  the  most  in  need  of  a  Doc- 
torate, the  apostolic  Gilbert  Tennent,  William 
Tennent,  George  Whitefield,  or  the  aforesaid 
Dr.  Juvenility,  Dr.  Ignorance,  and  Dr.  Weak- 
ness?   Now,  Dr.  Witherspoon,  in  his  Ecclesi- 


120 

astical  Characteristics,  says,  "It  is  with  charity 
in  [such  matters,]  as  with  charity  in  supply- 
ing the  w^ants  of  the  necessitous;  we  do  not 
give  alms  to  the  rich,  but  to  the  poor." 

But  to  secure  the  full  benefit  of  it,  the  title 
ought  to  be  fully  written  out,  and  fairly  trans- 
lated, like  the  Scriptures,  or  the  common 
people  will  be  in  perpetual  perplexity  about 
the  meaning  of  D.  D.,  as  they  are  about  the 
letters  O.  K.  in  party  politics;  and  they  may 
be  as  capricious  in  changing  the  meaning.  At 
first,  O.  K.  was  General  Jackson's  seal  of  ap- 
probation upon  all  that  his  successor  did;  and 
afterward,  when  that  successor  was  removed 
from  office,  O.  K.  was  turned  wrong  end  fore- 
most, and  interpreted  ''lacked  oitV^  As  D.  D. 
is  given  to  many  ecclesiastics  who  are  wrong 
end  foremost,  that  title  also  is  subject  to  the 
same  vicissitude,  unless  its  meaning  is  fixed, 
like  the  Hebrew  words,  by  punctuarian  ad- 
ditions. 

Those  who  know  a  clergyman  to  be  irrita- 
ble from  disease,  might  mistake  D.  D.  to  mean 
a  Dumpish  Dyspeptic;  those  who  know  that 
he  has  resorted  too  much  to  brandy  for  a  cure, 
might  think  that  it  meant  a  Dram  Drinker. 
Knowing  as  well  as  the  above  quoted  biogra- 
pher, that  juvenility,  ignorance,  weakness,  du- 
plicity, cowardice,  and  ambition,  are  their 
most  prominent  characteristics,  others  may 
be  in  danger  of  interpreting  the  D.  D.  as  mean- 


121 


ing  Diffuse  Declaimer,  Dismal  Dreamer,  Dull 
Disciple,  Dizzy  Dolt,  Dastardly  Drone,  or  Dare 
Devil,  Double  Dealer,  or  Dumb  Dog;  the  lat- 
ter of  which  is  a  scriptural  title,  exceedingly 
suitable  to  those  who  are  for  letting  error  die 
a  natural  death. 

To  all  such,  a  D.  D.  may  be  of  service,  as  a 
vote  and  an  office  in  an  Old-school  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  are  of  service  to  Universalists 
and  Papists,  swearers,  liars  and  Sabbath-break- 
ers, gamblers  and  drunkards. 

If  the  gallows  had  its  due,  a  D.  D.  might 
occasionally  be  found,  which  some  might  in- 
terpret DuPLiciTER  DAMNATus,  or  (louhly  doom- 
ed, to  be  excluded  from  the  company  of  popes, 
priests  and  nuns  in  purgatory. 

But  most  people  prefer  explaining  a  D.  D. 
to  mean  Dulce  Donum,  a  sweet  bribe,  which, 
like  the  Regium  Donum,  the  Bait  of  John  Bull, 
is  intended  to  catch  such  gudgeons  as  may  be 
gulled  in  that  way.  That  there  are  many  fish 
of  this  description  in  our  ecclesiastical  waters, 
is  well  known  to  the  British  Parliament,  and 
the  trustees  of  colleges;  both  of  which  secular 
establishments  are  excellently  qualified  to  ap- 
preciate and  reward  such  clerical  juvenility, 
ignorance  and  zveakness,  as  may  stand  in  need 
of  their  charity.  The  sweetness  of  this  bribe, 
is  as  evident  as  tliat  of  "  wafers  made  with 
honey."  This  fact,  together  with  its  resem- 
blance, in  size  and  shape,  to  a  couple  of  grains 
11 


122 

of  coriander  seed,  in  connexion  with  the  wor- 
ship which  has  been  paid  to  this  sacred  rehc 
of  the  most  remote  nntiquity — but  the  infer- 
ence is  too  plain;  a  word  to  the  wise  is  enough. 

Some  have  asserted  that  this  title  is  incon- 
sistent with  the  spirit  of  Presbyterianism,  the 
parity  of  the  clergy.  But  it  is  questionable 
whether  that  parity  could  be  preserved  with- 
out it.  Let  any  one  look  at  it,  and  he  will 
see,  with  half  an  eye,  that  D.  D.  upon  Mr. 
Weathercock,  like  two  panniers  upon  a  Mexi- 
can ass,  is  the  heau  ideal  of  equality.  It  is  the 
only  way  to  equalize  things  which  are  other- 
wise incurably  uneven. 

Let  us  consider  one  of  the  contrasts  furnish- 
ed by  the  learned  biographer  of  Dr.  Rodgers. 
On  the  one  hand,  w^e  will  take  President  Dick- 
inson, and  on  the  other  hand,  some  untitled 
son  of  a  Dickins,  who  is  remarkable  for  no- 
thing but  juvenility,  ignorance  and  weakness, 
or  pride,  avarice  and  ambition.  Without  a 
D.  D.  to  the  latter,  how  can  a  parity  exist? 
With  this  title  to  the  weaker  vessel,  they  ba- 
lance as  exactly  as  a  bag  of  corn  taken  to 
mill  in  some  countries,  with  the  grain  in  one 
end,  and  a  stone  in  the  other.  If  upon  trying 
the  experiment,  it  should  be  found  that  the 
stone  end  is  still  too  light,  let  D.  D.'s  be  multi- 
plied, as  they  were  in  the  Council  of  Constance, 
where  it  took  two  hundred  of  them  to  balance 
two  untitled  men,  John  Huss  and  Jerome  of 


123 

Prague,  who  were  punished,  a  la  common  law, 
for  telling  the  truth. 

For  the  same  crime,  Martin  Luther's  D.  D. 
was  taken  from  him,  by  the  authority  which 
conferred  it:  and  they  never  gave  one  to  John 
Calvin;  so  that  he,  like  Whitefield,  was  per- 
mitted to  descend  to  his  grave,  to  the  tune  of 
Roslin  Castle,  without  a  D.  D.  to  serve  as  a 
head-stone  and  a  foot-stone;  the  consequence  of 
which  is,  that  no  one  knows  at  this  day  where 
he  was  buried,  except  the  Roman  priests,  who 
occasionally  hear  unearthly  wailings  and  bowl- 
ings arising  from  his  ashes,  almost  as  frightful 
as  if  he  were  a  pope  in  purgatory. 

As  for  Calvin's  worthy  disciple,  John  Knox, 
it  is  suspected  either  that  he  did  not  need  it, 
or  that  he  did  not  duly  appreciate  it,  as  he  was 
notoriously  a  rough  Christian,  like  the  Apostle 
Peter.  That  semi-barbarism  which  he  learned 
from  Calvin,  the  democrat,  he  transmitted  to 
his  followers,  who  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  "The 
Second  Book  of  Discipline,"  made  D.  D.  a 
designation  of  school-masters,  whose  business 
it  was  to  teach  divinity  in  the  Bible  and  in  the 
catechism,  "  without  such  application  as  the 
ministers  use."  But  there  is  no  account  of  the 
Doctors  of  that  day  trying  to  hinder  ministers 
from  making  such  application  as  was  right  in 
ministers. 

When  I  look  at  the  seventh  sub-section  of 
the  ninth  section  of  the  first  article  of  the  Con- 


124 

stitution  of  the  United  States,  I  recognize  the 
fruit  of  that  Presbyterian  democracy  which 
Knox  learned  at  Geneva.  "No  title  of  nobility 
shall  be  granted"  at  home,  "or  title  of  any 
kind  whatever^^  received  from  abroad,  by  any 
"person  holding  any  office  of  profit  or  trust 
under"  this  government.  A  duke  might  be  with- 
out a  dukedom,  Dux  a  non  Ducendo;  his  title 
might  be  a  mere  Dulce  Donum:  yet  these  revo- 
lutionary heroes  could  say,  "Timeo  Danaos, 
et  dona  ferentes;"  and  therefore  prohibited  the 
appearance  of  evil,  as  clergymen  ought  to  do, 
and  as  they  profess  to  do.  But  those  who 
know  how  D.  D.'s  find  their  way  to  the  offices 
and  appointments  of  church  courts,  and  to 
wealthy  congregations,  good  or  bad,  and  what 
it  costs  to  oppose  their  titles,  and  how  many 
opposers  are  bought  up  by  these  titles,  like 
Irish  patriots  by  British  pensions,  may  con- 
sider this  honour  not  an  empty  name,  but  like 
titles  of  nobility,  intended  to  support  the  throne 
by  surrounding  it  with  aristocratical  institu- 
tions. What  else  can  move  the  same  college 
to  scatter  its  D.  D.'s  indiscriminately  among  the 
champions  of  two  opposing  parties,  which  dif- 
fer as  diametrically  as  Jansenists  and  Jesuits, 
Christians  and  Mahometans? 

Instead  of  this  liberal  habit  of  spuing  honours 
upon  all  sorts,  whether  they  w^ant  them  or  not, 
Dr.  Rodgers'  biographer  suggests  "  a  dignified 
course  of  discrimination  and  reserve  in  bestow- 


125 

ing"  them.  This,  however,  is  too  much  like 
the  Eutopian  vision  of  a  well-regulated  theatre, 
and  will  infer  the  usefulness  of  dukedoms 
among  our  statesmen,  as  well  as  of  doctorates 
among  ecclesiastics.  What  a  contrast  in  the 
regard  shown  by  statesmen  to  their  political 
constitution,  and  by  clergymen  to  their  in- 
spired constitution!!  The  ecclesiastical  doc- 
tors and  popes  of  our  Saviour's  day,  were 
called  Rabbi,  Master,  and  Father;  which  last 
is  equivalent  to  papa  or  pope.  The  Supreme 
Head  of  the  Protestant  church,  when  discuss- 
ing the  very  topic  now  before  us,  lays  down 
the  law  in  such  words  as  the  following:  "Be 
not  ye  called  Rabbi ;  "  Neither  be  ye  called 
Masters:"  "And  call  no  man  your  Father  (or 
Pope)  upon  the  earth."  Does  this  forbid  a 
man  to  be  a  pope,  more  plainly  than  to  be  a 
doctor?  And  is  either  less  plainly  prohibited, 
than  titles  of  nobility  are  in  our  political  con- 
stitution? 

But  to  my  mind,  the  unlawfulness  of  this 
secular,  literary  intrusion  into  things  spiritual, 
is  hardly  more  evident,  than  its  arrogance, 
inconsistency  and  absurdity,  especially  among 
Presbyterians.  Mr.  Gale,  a  young  licentiate, 
requests  ordination  and  installation  from  a 
Presbytery,  which  has  a  practical  control  over 
a  college,  the  trustees  of  which  are  clever  men 
in  the  departments  of  law,  medicine,  mechanics 
and  commerce.  Immediately  after  the  ordi- 
11* 


126 

nation  and  installation,  application  is  made  to 
the  trustees,  by  the  minister's  friend,  for  the 
granting  of  a  doctorate  to  the  new  pastor,  that 
he  may  be  upon  an  equality  with  young  Breeze, 
of  the  same  village.  After  a  refusal  from  the 
college,  the  friend  has  sufficient  perseverance 
and  influence  to  obtain  an  interlocutory  hear- 
ing before  the  Presbytery,  through  whose  in- 
fluence he  had  failed.  He  very  respectfully 
acknowledges  his  obligations  for  this  inter- 
view, and  affectionately  requests  an  answer  to 
a  few  honest  questions,  from  an  unpretending 
layman.  We  shall  give  the  number  of  the 
questions,  with  the  names  of  the  parties. 

1.  Friend,  Is  not  the  ministerial  office  from 
Christ,  the  Head  of  the  Church?  Presbytery. 
Yea. 

2.  Friend,  Is  it  not  the  most  important, 
honourable,  and  responsible  office  on  earth? 
Presbytery.   Yea. 

3.  Friend.  Is  it  lawful,  in  our  day,  to  confer 
an  office  of  such  transcendant  responsibility, 
gravity  and  elevation,  upon  men  as  young  as 
Timothy?    Presbytery.   Yea. 

4.  Friend.  Do  not  profou7id  knowledge  and 
aptness  to  teach,  belong  to  the  scriptural  requi- 
sites of  a  gospel  minister?    Presbytery.  Yea. 

5.  Friend.  Is  not  a  Doctor  of  Divinity  a  man 
6{  profound  knowledge  and  aptness  to  teach,  in 
matters  of  religion?    Presbytery.   Yea. 

6    Friend.  Does  the  Doctorate  come  from 


127 

Christ,  the  Head  of  the  Church?    Presbytery. 
Nay :  but  from  a  literary  institution. 

7.  Friend,  Are  the  men  who  confer  the 
Doctorate^  ordained  of  God  to  that  end,  as  gos- 
pel ministers  are,  to  transmit  their  office  to 
others  ?  Presbytery*  Nay :  but  they  are  secu- 
lar men,  not  always  possessing  or  professing 
religion  or  literature. 

8.  Friend.  Should  the  church  submit  to  such 
judges  the  qualifications  of  her  gospel  minis- 
ters, in  relation  to  profound  knowledge  and  apt- 
ness to  teach  ?  Presbytery,  Nay :  The  less  is 
blessed  of  the  better. 

9.  Friend,  Why  are  Doctorates  conferred? 
Presbytery,  To  elevate  the  ministerial  charac- 
ter, by  offering  an  incentive  to  application  and 
improvement. 

10.  Friend,  Why  are  not  Doctorates  given  to 
all  gospel  ministers  alike?  Presbytery,  Because 
some,  like  your  friend,  Mr.  Gale,  are  unworthy 
of  it,  through  juvenility,  ignorance,  and  weak- 
ness;  and  because  the  title  is  depreciated,  by 
being  multiplied,  and  indiscriminately  con- 
ferred. 

11.  Friend,  Does  not  your  platform  maintain 
the  parity  of  the  clergy  ?    Presbytery,  Yea. 

\Z,  Friend,  Is  it  not  an  evil  sign,  to  love  to 
be  called  of  men.  Rabbi,  Rabbi?  Presbytery. 
Yea. 

13.  Friend,  Gentlemen;  your  patience  in 
hearing  and  answering  my  inquiries,  will  be 


128 

greatly  enhanced,  if  you  will  have  the  goodness 
to  correct  any  mistake  which  I  may  have  made. 
In  answer  to  my  4th  and  5th  questions,  you 
admitted  that  a  Doctor  of  Divinity  should  have 
profound  knowledge  and  aptness  to  teach;  and 
that  a  minister  of  the  gospel  should  have  no- 
thing less. 

In  answer  to  my  1st,  6th,  7th  and  8th  ques- 
tions, you  admitted  that  the  gospel  ministry 
was  from  Christ,  through  the  instrumentality 
of  men  appointed  and  qualified  for  that  end ; 
and  that  the  Doctorate  was  not  from  Christ, 
nor  through  men  appointed  or  qualified  to 
judge  of  a  man's  knowledge  or  ability  to  teach 
divinity. 

Under  questions  10th  and  5th,  you  pro- 
nounce my  friend  Gale  too  ignorant  and  weak 
for  a  Doctorate,  which  requires  a  man  to  have 
profound  knowledge  and  aptness  to  teach;  al- 
though you  had  just  ordained  him  to  the  office 
of  the  gospel  ministry,  which,  in  question  4th, 
requires  a  man  oi profound  knowledge  and  apt- 
ness to  teach;  and  which,  in  question  2d,  you 
pronounce  the  most  important,  honourable  and 
responsible  office  on  earth;  and  although  you 
had  lately  been  instrumental  in  the  ordination 
and  doctoration  of  the  prudent,  compromising, 
managing,  courtly,  wealthy,  and  highly  con- 
nected young  Breeze,  who  has  not  half  the 
knowledge  and  ability  of  my  upright  and 
downright  friend. 


129 

In  questions  2d,  3d  and  10th,  you  consider 
yourselves  right  in  conferring  upon  nny  young 
friend,  as  Paul  conferred  upon  Timothy,  an 
office  for  teaching  divinity^  which  is  of  divine 
authority,  and  of  transcendant  responsibility, 
gravity  and  importance,  and  yet  you  pro- 
nounce his  juvenility  unworthy  of  the  earth- 
ly, unauthorized  title  of  Teacher  of  Divinity, 
though  conferred  by  unordained  and  incompe- 
tent judges  of  his  teaching  abilities,  in  matters 
of  divinity. 

Although  in  question  8th,  you  admit  that  the 
less  is  blessed  of  the  greater,  and  that  laymen 
cannot  confer  the  scriptural  office  for  teaching 
divinity,  yet  in  questions  6th  and  10th,  the 
greater  is  blessed  of  the  less,  with  an  unscrip- 
tural  title  for  teaching  divinity,  of  which  you 
say,  some  are  unworthy,  who,  you  say,  are 
nevertheless  worthy  teachers  of  divinity,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  only  competent  judges. 

In  question  11th,  you  profess  to  maintain 
the  equality  of  all  your  ordained  teachers  of 
divinity;  and  yet  in  questions  9th  and  10th,  you 
are  furnished  by  tradition,  and  not  by  scrip- 
lure,  with  an  extra-title  of  teachers  of  divinity, 
which  is  to  distinguish,  by  the  decision  of  in- 
competent judges,  the  high  from  the  low,  the 
worthy  from  the  unworthy,  the  learned  and 
able  from  the  ignorant  and  weak;  and  which, 
as  a  precious  prize,  is  to  be  set  before  clerical 
racers,  to  accelerate  them  in  industry  and  im- 


130 

provement;  or  rather,  according  to  question 
12th,  they  who  love,  like  young  Breeze,  to  be 
called  of  nnen  Rabbi,  Rabbi,  are  excited  by 
this  offered  prize,  to  pursue  that  course  of  pru- 
dent compronfiising,  courtly  nnanagement,  and 
treacherous  sycophancy,  for  which  he  was 
rewarded  with  a  D.  D.,  and  to  avoid  that  up- 
right and  downright  course  for  which  his  supe- 
rior is  denied  this  title, 

Moses  said,  "  Would  God  that  all  the  Lord's 
people  were  prophets,  and  that  the  Lord  w^ould 
put  his  Spirit  upon  them."  Did  Moses  think 
that  the  nnultiplication  of  prophets  depreciated 
the  title,  when  the  Spirit  went  along  with  it? 
Yet  after  you  have  declared  by  the  solemn 
imposition  of  hands,  that  you  believe  my  friend 
to  be  formed  of  God  for  a  teacher  of  divinity, 
you  deny  to  him  and  others  like  him,  your 
honorary  and  unwarranted  title  of  Teacher 
of  Divinity,  because,  like  an  article  of  mer- 
chandise, it  is  depreciated  by  multiplication, 
as  in  question  10th- 

With  one  breath  you  complain,  that  you 
have  a  most  lamentable  scarcity  of  ordained 
teachers  of  divinity;  and  with  the  next,  you 
complain  of  the  lamentable  increase  of  hono- 
rary Teachers  of  Divinity,  because  the  value 
of  your  D.  D.,  like  that  of  the  Samaritan  Dove's 
Dung,  in  2  Kings  vi.  25,  depends  upon  the  sur- 
rounding scarcity.  The  text  referred  to  will 
show^,  that  during  that  famine,  four  cab  loads 


131 

of  D.  D.'s  were  worth  just  as  much  as  one 
Ass's  Head;  and  down  to  our  day,  the  lamen- 
table multiplication  of  D.  D.'s  and  Ass's  Heads 
has  been  in  such  a  ratio,  that  they  continue 
to  bear  the  same  relative  value.  With  grati- 
tude for  your  indulgence,  these  things  are 
humbly  suggested  to  your  acknowledged  judg- 
ment and  talents,  piety  and  integrity. 

The  interlocutory  closed,  the  Presbytery 
was  called  to  order;  and  the  following  overture 
was  moved  and  seconded,  put  and  lost,  viz. 

Whereas  ministerial  parity  is  of  the  essence 
of  Presbyterianism ; 

And  whereas  a  virtual  prelacy  is  the  corner- 
stone of  ministerial  parity,  as  Governor  M*Duf- 
fee  would  say ; 

And  whereas  the  extensive  and  almost  in- 
discriminate distribution  of  Doctorates  has 
greatly  depreciated  their  value  as  an  aristo- 
cratical  distinction,  and  as  an  incentive  to 
improvement,  and  a  recompense  for  it; 

And  whereas  our  Patrician  clergy,  with 
deference  be  it  spoken,  sometimes  need  a  sti- 
mulus, and  deserve  a  recompense,  as  well  as 
our  Plebeian  clergy,  as  the  Bishops  of  some 
churches  are  stimulated  or  rewarded  with  an 
Archbishopric; 

Therefore,  Resolved,  that  when  a  Presbyte- 
rian Doctor  has  been  so  far  stimulated,  that 
the  clerk  of  the  market,  or  a  board  of  physi- 
cians, shall  pronounce  him  worth  four  cabs  of 


132 

D.  D.'s,  he  shall  be  entitled  to  the  higher  hono- 
rary degree  of  A.  H.,  or  rather  C.  A.,  Caput 
Asini,  as  the  Vulgate  has  it,  in  2  Kings  vi.  25 ; 
a  degree  which  Martin  Luther,  in  his  Table 
Talk,  has  given  to  some  of  the  Fathers. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Texas  undei*  a  great  disadvantage,  ever  since  that  savage  battle  of  San 
Jacinto,  from  a  dearth  of  gold  and  gowns  ;  holy  vestments  and  holy 
water ;  the  revolution  having  driven  these  beauties  of  holiness  over 
the  Rio  Grande:  whereas  England,  and  the  United  States,  and 
Mexico,  are  favoured  with  a  great  revival  of  these  comforts,  in  Ox- 
ford, and  Princeton,  and  Saltillo. 

If  any  should  be  at  a  loss  to  account  for  my 
unwonted  zeal  in  favour  of  titles  and  habits, 
I  would  merely  whisper  in  their  ear,  what 
ordained  lips  w^hispered  in  mine,  the  other  day, 
that  many  big  bulls  of  our  bashan  will  con- 
scientiously oppose  any  cause  which  I  may 
espouse.  Consequently,  the  only  way  in  which 
I  can  profit  these  brothers  of  charity,  is  to  take 
them  by  the  wrong  end,  as  the  Irishman  did 
the  pig. 

The  resolution  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick,  on  the  subject  of  gow'ns,  reads  as 
follows : 

"  Resolved,  That  this  Presbytery  consider  it 
becoming  and  proper,  that  ministers  of  the  gos- 
pel, in  the  exercise  of  their  public  offices,  should 


133 

revive  the  practice  of  wearing  the  gown;  and 
that  it  be  recommended  to  the  members  of  this 
body,  when  they  deem  it  expedient,  to  act  in 
conformity  with  this  suggestion." 

In  a  few  days,  the  Ledger  published  the  fol- 
lowing paragraph: 

"  Gowns, — We  are  informed  that  the  Pres- 
bytery of  New  Brunswick,  which  met  last 
week,  recommended  their  brethren  in  that 
clergy,  to  adopt  the  Episcopal  habit  of  wear- 
ing gowns  in  the  pulpit." 

This  occasioned  him  soon  after  to  receive 
and  publish  the  following  communication: 

**  For  the  Public  Ledger.  Messrs.  Editors — 
The  Ledger  is  for  once  mistaken,  in  calling 
the  wearing  of  gowns  in  the  pulpit  an  Episco- 
pal habit,  as  if  it  were  peculiar  to  the  Episco- 
palian Church.  The  clergy  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland,  of  the  Reformed  Churches  on  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe,  and  indeed  very  many  of  the 
Dissenters  in  England  wear  the  gown.  The 
engraved  portraits  of  many  of  the  sturdiest 
non-conformists  come  down  to  us  in  all  the 
solemn  pomp  of  gown  and  bands  and  wig  or 
small  cap.  The  stiff  quarrel  in  England  under 
Elizabeth,  was  not  about  wearing  of  gowns, 
(in  which  the  reformed  clergy  seemed  to  he 
agreed,)  but  the  change  of  vestments — white  to 
black. — The  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  are 
only  returning  to  the  custom  of  their  own 
Church  in  former  times.  L.  S.  (y." 

12 


134 

Who  L.  S.  C.  is,  we  cannot  tell ;  but,  from 
the  character  of  his  communication,  we  infer 
that  he  is,  or  will  be,  or  ought  to  be  a  D.  D.; 
as  he  is  evidently  a  great  historian,  and  an 
efficient  advocate  of  proper  clerical  manners 
and  habits;  and  is  fond  of  giving  a  seasonable 
shove  to  the  aforesaid  revival.  From  him  and 
the  presbytery  and  the  seminary  united,  we 
may  gather  that  the  gown  is  a  vestment,  white 
or  black — that  it  is,  or  ought  to  be,  accompa- 
nied with  a  wig,  or  cap  and  hands — that  this 
dress  belongs  not  to  Episcopacy,  but  to  the 
reformation;  as  the  habits  were  adopted  and 
used  by  all  the  reformers,  on  the  continent,  in 
England,  and  in  Scotland — that  a  return  to 
this  "solemn  pomp,"  is  a  revival  of  reforma- 
tion principles  and  practices,  something  more 
important  than  a  revival  of  true  Protestantism, 
and  of  Calvinistic  Presbyterianism,  in  doctrine, 
order,  and  morality. 

As  I  desire  to  do  all  things  decently  and  in 
order,  I  feel  slightly  aggrieved  by  the  high 
authorities  quoted  above,  for  leaving  so  impor- 
tant a  matter  as  the  cut,  colour,  and  material 
of  the  garment  in  such  obscurity.  Jn  a  glo- 
rious revival,  presbyters,  doctors  of  divinity, 
and  theological  professors,  should  remember 
the  responsibility  which  they  incur,  if  for  the 
want  of  proper  instruction,  poor  ministers 
should  get  a  white  silk  instead  of  black ;  or  a 
black  linen  instead  of  white,  or  a  Joseph's  coat 


135 

of  many  colours,  or  John  the  Baptist's  camel's 
hair,  or  something  like  the  Apostle  Peter's  fish- 
ing-coat, or  a  hunting-shirt  of  Paul's  tent- 
making  fabric. 

The  only  scratch  of  information  which  has 
assailed  the  public  cranium  on  this  subject,  is 
from  the  pen  of  L.  S.  C.  above ;  where  he  as- 
serts that  on  the  part  of  the  reformers,  the 
whole  quarrel  in  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
was  about  "  the  change  of  vestments — white 
to  black."  As  I  have  not  seen  nor  heard  of 
any  thing  in  opposition  to  this  from  head-quar- 
ters, and  as  the  alledged  old  way  is  the  one  to 
be  revived,  I  take  it  for  granted,  than  an  outside 
linen,  as  white,  and  of  course  as  clean  as  that 
which  our  first-rate  butchers  wear,  is  to  be  worn 
in  the  pulpit,  as  a  thing  ^'becoming  and projyery 
The  recommendation  of  the  gown  was  accom- 
panied by  the  ordination  of  a  missionary  to 
Africa.  The  information  therefore  of  L.  S.  C, 
that  the  gown  is  not  black,  like  the  Africans, 
but  white,  like  Elizabeth's  gown,  may  be  of 
some  use  in  these  times. 

The  fact,  however,  that  Elizabeth's  white 
gowns  and  caps  fitted  all  the  reformers  of  her 
day,  is  hardly  consistent  with  the  testimony  of 
many  of  her  suffering  clergy,  who,  in  the  year 
1566,  declared  "that  the  surplice,  or  white 
linen  garment,  came  from  the  Egyptians  into 
the  Jewish  church;  and  that  Pope  Sylvester, 
about  the  year  320,  was  the  first  that  appointed 


136 

the  sacrament  to  be  administered  in  a  white 
linen  garment;  giving  this  reason  for  it,  be- 
cause the  body  of  Christ  was  buried  in  a  white 
linen  cloth."  This  might  leave  room  for  other 
habits;  but  the  same  clergymen  proceed  to 
declare,  that  ^'all  these  garments  had  been 
abused  to  idolatry,  sorcery,  and  all  kinds  of 
conjurations;  for  (say  they)  the  popish  priests 
can  perform  none  of  their  pretended  consecra- 
tions of  holy  water,  transubstantiation  of  the 
body  of  Christ,  conjurations  of  the  devil  out  of 
places  or  persons  possessed,  without  a  surplice, 
or  an  alhe,  or  some  hallowed  stole." 

To  preserve  the  credit  of  our  friends,  it  is 
necessary  to  dispose  of  this  declaration  as  well 
as  we  can.  Otherwise,  it  is  like  a  norther j 
sweeping  through  a  Texan  tent.  It  scatters 
"all  these  garments,"  white,  black  and  grizzled, 
ring-streaked,  spotted  and  speckled,  gowns, 
bands  and  wigs.  Perhaps,  as  these  witnesses 
suffered  from  the  gown-mongers,  they  ought 
hardly  to  be  believed. 

They  state,  "that  neither  the  prophets  in 
the  Old  Testament,  nor  the  apostles  in  the 
New,  were  distinguished  by  their  garments ;" 
"that  a  distinction  of  garments  (white  or  black) 
in  the  Christian  church,  did  not  generally  ob- 
tain, till  long  after  the  rising  of  Antichrist ;  for 
the  whole  clergy  of  Ravenna,  writing  to  the 
Emperor  Carolus  Calvus,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  876,  say,  *  We  are  distinguished  from  the 


137 

laity,  not  by  our  clothes,  but  by  our  doctrines; 
not  by  our  habits,  but  our  conversation,^  " 

When  Fox,  the  martyrologist,  refused  to 
wear  the  apparel,  they  let  him  escape,  but  pun- 
ished naany  of  their  best  ministers  for  the  same 
refusal.  In  their  written  apology,  they  show 
that,  distinguishing  themselves  by  the  badges 
of  idolatry,  is  contrary  to  the  Scriptures  and 
the  Fathers,  among  whom  they  quote  Tertul- 
lian  "  c?e  Corona  Militis;^'  where  he  says,  "If 
it  be  a  matter  of  infidelity  to  sit  at  the  idol's 
feasts,  what  is  it  to  be  seen  in  the  habit  or  ap- 
parel of  the  idolV^  With  due  deference  to  this 
nornet  of  a  Father,  I  would  observe,  that  he 
has  some  things  nearly  as  bad  as  "  the  soldier's 
crown,''  or  Ehzabeth's  gown. 

But  some  of  Elizabeth's  reformers,  in  a  let- 
ter to  Zurich,  observe  "  that  the  ancient  Fa- 
thers had  their  habits,  but  not  peculiar  to 
bishops,  nor  distinct  from  the  laity."  They 
state,  that  "  the  Papists  glory  in  this,  that  these 
habits  were  brought  in  by  them,  for  which 
they  vouch  Otho's  constitutions  and  the  Roman 
Pontifical." 

In  the  time  of  King  Edward  VI.,  the  clergy 
were  "  so  poor,  that  they  could  scarce  afford 
to  buy  themselves  decent  clothes."  In  that 
reign,  a  Council  of  Bishops  and  Archbishops, 
declared  concerning  these  habits,  that  "at 
best  they  were  but  inventions  of  popery,  and 
ought  to  be  destroyed  with  that  idolatrous 
12* 


138 

religion."  When  they  became  richer,  they 
revived  the  things  which  they  had  destroyed  ; 
and  now  are  they  reviving  on,  with  their  can- 
dles and  crosses ;  and  w^e  are  trying  to  revive 
after  them,  until  we  shall  all  be  as  much  re- 
vived as  Oxford,  or  Babylon  the  Great. 

In  Elizabeth's  struggle  to  put  her  gowns 
upon  all  the  clergy,  the  Bishop  of  Durham 
prayed  the  Earl  of  Leicester  "  to  consider  how 
all  reformed  countries  had  cast  away  popish 
apparel,  with  the  pope."  He  calls  it  "  the  de- 
filed robe  of  Antichrist;"  and  says,  "since  we 
have  forsaken  popery  as  wicked,  I  do  not  see 
how  their  apparel  can  become  saints  and  pro- 
fessors of  the  gospel."  In  opposition  to  him, 
our  Presbytery  has  said  that  it  can  become 
saints  and  professors.  Doctors  will  differ ! 
Bishop  Pilkinton  observes,  that  "  the  Papists 
blew  the  coals;"  would  it  not  be  well  to  ex- 
amine who  are  handling  the  bellows  of  our 
revival?  But  he  says  that  "  the  blame  of  all 
was  cast  upon  the  Bishops."  He  thought  this 
unjust;  and  Bishop  Grindal  calls  "God  to  wit- 
ness, that  it  did  not  lie  at  their  door  that  the 
habits  were  not  quite  taken  away,''^  Thus  the 
Bishops  declare  their  opposition  to  the  gown, 
because  it  w^as  the  apparel  of  popish  idolatry, 
as  the  corona  militis  and  vestis  peregrina  were 
badges  of  pagan  idolatry. 

That  it  was  used  at  all  among  them,  is  at- 
tributable chiefiy  to  the  stern  inflexibility  of 


139 

Elizabeth ;  and  that,  if  we  believe  L.  S.  C. 
from  a  regard  to  Presbyterian  parity.  To 
maintain  in  a  becoming  and  proper  manner,  the 
equipoise  of  society,  she  required,  that  as  she 
wore  the  breeches  the  men  should  wear  the 
gowns.  And  when  juvenility,  ignorance  and 
weakness  are  in  the  balance,  against  experi- 
ence, wisdom  and  strength,  how  can  parity  be 
restored  in  so  becoming  and  proper  a  manner 
as  by  throwing  into  the  lighter  scale  a  lot  of 
revived  gowns  and  wigs,  candles  and  crosses, 
with  a  pot  of  holy  water? 

But  the  Presbyterian  divines  of  Zurich 
wrote  to  Elizabeth's  victims  that  the  habits 
"  carry  an  appearance  of  the  mass,  and  are 
merely  remainders  of  Popery :"  "  and  approve 
of  the  zeal  of  those  divines  who  wish  to  have 
the  house  of  God  purged  from  all  the  dregs  of 
Poperyy  Beza,  and  seventeen  of  his  Presby- 
terian brethren  of  the  Genevese  clergy  say, 
**  As  for  the  Popish  habits,  those  men  that  are 
authors  of  their  being  imposed,  do  deserve 
most  evil  of  the  church,  and  shall  verily  an- 
swer it  at  the  dreadful  bar  of  Christ's  judg- 
ment." Some  of  the  London  divines  forsook 
the  habits  as  "  idolatrous  geare,"  and  adopted 
"  a  book  and  order  of  preaching,  administra- 
tion of  the  sacraments,  and  discipline,  that  the 
great  Mr.  Calvin  had  approved  of,  and  which 
was  free  from  the  superstitions  of  the  English 
service." 


140 

With  characteristic  plainness  the  Presbyte- 
rian clergy  of  Scotland  wrote  to  their  suffer- 
ing brethren  in  England,  as  follows ;  "  If  sur- 
plice, corner  cap  and  tippet  have  been  badges 
of  idolatry,  what  have  the  preachers  of  Chris- 
tian liberty,  and  the  open  rebukers  of  all 
superstition,  to  do  with  the  dregs  of  the  Romish 
heastV^  That  was  a  memorable  Uberty  taken 
by  Andrew  Melville,  when  under  trial,  he  took 
hold  of  the  lawn  sleeves  of  his  lordly  Prelati- 
cal  judge,  calling  them  Romish  rags. 

But  the  day  has  now  come  when  the  great 
and  powerful,  the  learned  and  titled  descend- 
ants of  these  faithful  witnesses  think  it  becom- 
ing and  proper  to  revive  these  dregs,  and  patch 
up  these  j^ags;  and  there  are  some  indications 
that  they  esteem  a  revival  of  this  "  solemn 
pomp^^  more  important  than  a  revival  of  the 
doctrine,  order  and  morality  of  Calvinistic 
Presbyterianism,  and  Protestant  Christianity. 

The  revival  of  the  gown  has  the  honour  of 
beginning  in  our  great  Theological  Seminary, 
where,  under  God,  we  desire  to  see  a  begin- 
ning of  all  good  things  connected  with  religion 
and  the  church.  When  Presbyterial  officers 
were  giving  way  to  committee-men;  and 
Presbyterial  courts  were  broken  by  squadrons 
mustered  on  the  ground  of  elective  affinity; 
who  proposed  a  revival  of  Presbyterianism, 
and  a  return  to  constitutional  ground  ?  The 
policy  and  the  Periodical  of  Princeton  pro- 


141 

posed  a  surrender  to  the  enemy,  by  changing 
the  constitution,  and  reorganizing  the  whole 
church  upon  their  plan.  This  policy  was  re- 
buked by  "  Honesti/,^^  who  had  heard  that  one 
professor  had  written  the  article,  and  that  the 
others  differed  from  him ;  although  silence 
would  make  them  sharers  in  his  responsibility. 
They  were  not  satisfied  with  a  silent  responsi- 
bility ;  but  came  out  and  signed  their  names 
to  a  public  adhesion. 

It  is  true,  that  after  all  the  contempt  which 
they  endeavoured  to  lavish  upon  their  reprover, 
the  God  of  Honesty  compelled  them  at  last  to 
return  to  the  constitutional  ground  which  they 
had  gloried  in  forsaking.  But  no  compulsion 
is  necessary  in  a  revival  of  the  gown ;  which 
appears,  therefore,  the  more  important  revival. 
I  have  heard  that  the  professor  who  advocated 
this  measure  differed  from  one  or  more  of  his 
brethren.  Experience,  however,  has  reminded 
me  of  the  motto,  "My  country,  right  or 
wrong."     Doubtless,  they  will  stick  together. 

A  magnanimity  above  this  adorns  many  a 
man,  ancient  and  modern,  who  makes  no  pro- 
fession of  Calvinism,  Protestantism,  or  Chris- 
tianity. Because  a  party  policy  was  disho- 
nest, it  was  rejected  by  Aristides  and  his  pa- 
gan adherents.  It  was  General  la  Fayette's 
lofty  elevation  above  selfish,  proud,  ambitous, 
party  views,  which  made  him  a  tenant  of  a 


142 

prison  instead  of  a  throne.  Who  now  stands 
the  highest,  he  or  Napoleon? 

We  have  some  ecclesiastical  niagnates, 
who,  like  the  great  ones  of  Pagan  and  Papal 
Rome,  float  in  a  medium  of  such  polite  and 
learned  nebulosity,  that  with  them  a  man  who 
perseveringly  prefers  pure  principle  to  popu- 
larity, pelf,  and  party,  must  be  the  slave  of  an 
insane  superstition,  a  reckless  imprudence, 
or  an  incurable  obstinacy;  and  must,  in  either 
case,  be  treated  as  a  pestilent  fellow,  whose 
touch  is  contagion. 

Some  of  the  best  friends  that  I  have  on 
earth  are  men  of  D.  D — s,  and  black  gowns. 
Shall  I  forget  the  great  and  glorious  Eternal, 
to  flatter  a  beloved  fellow-worm  ?  If  my  free- 
dom and  faithfulness  should  alienate  them  all, 
and  make  me  as  solitary  and  desolate  as  in 
the  wilds  of  Texas,  there  can  the  presence  of 
God  make  me  safer  and  happier  far,  than  in  the 
cowardly  enjoyment  of  all  earthly  friendship, 
and  all  human  praise. 

It  is  the  unjust  steward,  who,  for  his  own 
profit,  favours  his  Master's  debtors  at  his  Mas- 
ter's expense.  If  I  understand  a  minister's 
duty,  he  is  a  witness  for  God,  and  is  bound  to 
stand  by  the  Gospel,  whether  men  will  punish 
or  reward,  praise  or  blame.  Duty  has  often 
required  me  warmly  to  oppose  those  whom  I 
should  have  been  delighted  to  please :  and  yet 
my  opposition  has  been  attributed  to  personal 


143 

hostility  or  ambition ;  and  a  Cisatlantic  Semi- 
nary has  encouraged  the  surmise,  of  which 
even  Pelagian  Congregationalists  acquitted 
me. 

If  during  a  life  of  what  others  call  suffer- 
ing, this  heart  has  experienced  Gospel  bless- 
ings, then  I  can  witness  that  those  blessings 
unutterably  excel  in  value  the  treasures  of  the 
mine  and  mountain,  the  forest,  field  and  flood. 
In  the  present  enjoyment  of  Gospel  truth,  the 
soul  is  lifted  above  the  finger  of  scorn,  the 
sneer  of  derision,  the  tongue  of  slander,  the 
hand  of  persecution,  and  the  gloom  of  the 
grave.  Death  in  any  shape,  or  in  a  thousand 
shapes,  shall  be  welcome  in  such  a  cause,  and 
with  such  help. 

While  I  witness  for  the  God  of  grace  that 
this  is  the  experience  of  my  heart,  my  enemies 
can  witness  that  this  has  been  the  language  of 
every  ministerial  act,  without  regard  to  friend 
or  foe,  personal  prejudice  or  prepossession. 

That  great  and  pious  professors  of  theology 
have  greater  attainments  in  knowledge  and 
experience  no  one  pretends  to  deny.  But  why 
did  they  oppose  and  retard  the  late  reforma- 
tion, until  they  saw  that  the  church  was  hang- 
ing over  a  precipice?  They  saw  that  they 
must  take  the  dreadful  leap  with  it;  and  not 
until  then  did  they  yield  a  reluctant  consent  to 
its  deliverance.  Not  so  with  the  gown  revival. 
This  was  an  enterprise  worthy  of  their  steel. 


144 

If  I  were  to  oppose  the  proper  means  of  re- 
turning to  Gospel  truth,  and  then  urge  a  return 
to  the  gown,  the  superior  importance  of  the 
latter  would  be  my  reason. 

The  seminary  knows  that  the  order  of  dea- 
cons is  Scriptural  and  Presbyterian,  and  that 
for  a  long  time  it  has  been  practically  abolish- 
ed, to  give  room  to  the  world.  With  all  their 
truly  distinguished  talents  and  opportunities, 
has  the  zeal  of  God's  house  consumed  them  ? 
As  far  as  I  know,  this  enviable  consumption, 
quoad  hoc,  they  and  their  partizans  have  left 
exclusively  to  an  individual,  unaided,  unpitied 
by  them.  Although  I  am  not  acquainted  with 
any  Presbyterial  act  of  theirs,  recommending 
the  revival  of  an  exploded  office  in  God's 
house,  as  becoming  and  proper,  yet  there  is 
such  an  act  in  favour  of  the  gown;  which, 
therefore,  is  the  more  important  matter. 

When,  after  a  long  absence,  Nehemiah  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem,  it  grieved  him  sore  to  hear 
of  "  the  evil  that  Eliashib  did  for  Tobiah,  in 
preparing  him  a  chamber  in  the  courts  of  the 
house  of  God."  Nehemiah  thought  it  becom- 
ing and  proper  to  revive  the  old  order  and  mo- 
rality of  the  house.  He  therefore  "cast  forth 
all  the  household  stuff  of  Tobiah  out  of  the 
chamber."  Suppose  that  by  a  public  visita- 
tion of  the  house,  and  a  judicial  investigation 
of  its  concerns,  it  had  been  proved  and  de- 
cided, that  there  were  seven  chambers,  occu- 


145 

pied  by  Universalists  and  Papists,  swearers, 
liars  and  Sabbath-breakers,  gamblers  and 
drunkards.  Suppose  that  Eliashib  had  recog- 
nized them  as  members  and  officers  in  the 
house,  and  solemnly  declared  the  house  to  be 
in  a  flourishing  condition.  Would  Nehemiah 
have  said  Amen?  Would  he  have  been  silent? 
Would  he  have  substituted  the  solemn  pomp  of 
gov^ns  and  wigs,  for  a  revival  of  Scriptural 
order  and  morality?  His  conduct  showed 
that  he  esteemed  the  latter  the  more  important. 
If  Princeton  appear  to  think  otherwise,  per- 
haps the  reason  is  that  their  absence  from  Je- 
rusalem has  been  longer  than  that  of  the  Tir- 
shatha. 

When  Lord  Clarendon  advocated  gowns 
and  their  accompaniments,  in  preference  to 
the  doctrine,  oiiler  and  morality  of  Scriptural 
Protestantism  and  Calvinistic  Presbyterian- 
ism,  he  had  the  semblance  of  consistency,  be- 
cause he  believed  that  the  decorations  of  minis- 
ters and  churches  constituted  "  the  heauty  of 
holiness  r  Then  the  church  of  Rome  may 
well  be  called  Most  Holy^  and  her  golden  orna- 
ments most  beautiful ;  and  Achan,  the  typical 
Antichrist  should  be  canonized  as  a  martyr, 
for  his  attachment  to  the  beauty  of  holiness, 
in  the  Babylonish  garment,  and  the  golden 
wedge. 

These   are   two   sanctified  beauties  which 
have  a  wonderful  affinity  for  each  other.     In 
13 


146 

the  second  chapter  of  the  Apostle  James,  we 
find  "a  man  with  a  gold  ring  in  goodly  appa- 
reV^  He  was  a  beautiful  saint;  and  the 
church,  being  in  a  revived  arid  flourishing 
condition,  said  to  him,  "Sit  ihou  here  in  a 
good  place."  But  there  came  in  also  "  a  poor 
man  in  vile  raiment;"  and  they  said  to  him, 
"  Sit  here  under  my  footstool."  Being  desti- 
tute of  the  heauty  of  holiness,  he  was  treated 
as  a  revolting  reprobate. 

In  the  scarcity  of  golden  wedges,  under 
Edward,  the  dignitaries  condemned  the  Baby- 
lonish gown  :  but  the  gold  and  the  gowns  re- 
vived together,  in  after  days;  and  ever  since 
Achan  and  Antichrist  united  them,  it  has  been 
hard  to  put  them  asunder. 

It  has  even  been  suggested  that  the  interests 
of  piety  might  be  promoted,  «nd  incentives  to 
ministerial  excellence  increased,  if  the  posses- 
sion of  a  handsome  gown  and  a  good  salary 
might  entitle  the  incumbent  to  the  honorary 
degree  of  G.  G.,  except  for  the  danger  that 
some  of  the  readers  of  Walter  Scott  might 
think,  from  their  knowledge  of  the  preacher, 
that  his  title  meant  Goose  Gibhy  or  Gown 
Granny. 

The  Jews,  the  first  members  of  the  Christian 
church,  were  strongly  prejudiced  in  favour  of 
their  splendid,  costly,  burdensome  ritual.  The 
Pagans,  who  filled  up  the  ranks  were  as  strong- 
ly prejudiced  in  favour  of  the  becoming,  sig- 


147 

nificant,  instructive  pomp  of  their  mystery  of 
iniquity,  which  had  already  begun  to  revive 
the  church  in  Paul's  day.  Antichrist,  in  his 
maturity,  united  the  desires  and  prejudices  of 
both,  in  preferring  forms  to  faith,  and  habits 
to  holiness.  Should  this  be  countenanced  in 
whole  or  in  part,  by  the  ministers  of  that 
Christ,  who  condemned  Paganism,  fulfilled 
and  abolished  Judaism,  and  left  a  religion 
so  spiritual?  On  account  of  its  unparalleled 
simplicity,  his  followers  were  tempted  in  their 
folly,  to  escape  the  cross,  by  the  endless  revi- 
val of  decorations,  pomps  and  forms,  which 
had  been  exploded  by  the  Master's  order. 


APPENDIX. 


No.  1. 


Proposed  Charter  of  the  Galveston  University,  in  the  Republic   of 
Texas. 

1.  Whereas,  wisdom  is  necessary  to  true 
prosperity,  and  nations  are  destroyed  for  lack 
of  knowledge : 

2.  And  whereas,  education  is,  under  Pro- 
vidence, an  important  means  of  preparing  the 
young  to  succeed  their  seniors  in  the  burdens 
and  responsibilities  of  society: 

3.  And  whereas,  the  boasted  advantages  en- 
joyed since  the  reformation,  over  the  dark  ages 
which  preceded  it,  are  in  some  measure  owing, 
under  Providence,  to  the  liberal  diffusion  of 
useful  knowledge: 

4.  And  whereas,  a  wise  and  powerful,  just 
and  merciful  God  has  lately  removed  from  the 
neck  of  our  beloved  country,  a  grievous  yoke 
of  ignorance  and  tyranny,  and  thus  bound  her 
citizens  to  use  generous  and  diligent  efforts  for 
the  dissemination  of  light:  « 

5.  And  whereas,  by  a  respectful  petition 
of  a  competent  number  of  persons  of  esta- 
blished reputation  for  philanthropy  and  patri- 

13* 


150 

otism,  integrity,  ability  and  humanity,  it  ap- 
pears that  the  institution  of  a  University  in 
the  county  of  Galveston,  for  the  instruction 
of  the  young  in  all  branches  of  useful  learn- 
ing, is  likely  to  promote  the  real  welfare  of 
this  Republic : 

6.  And  whereas,  the  honourable  Congress 
of  Texas  have  already  made  some  appropria- 
tions for  Literary  establishments  in  the  form  of 
Primary  Schools,  Academies  and  Colleges,  and 
may  give  farther  encouragement  to  extraordi- 
nary exertions  for  promoting  the  literature  of 
Texas:  therefore, 

7.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  ond  House 
of  Representatives  of  the  Republic  of  Texas  in 
Congress  assembled.  That  there  be  erected, 
and  hereby  is  erected  and  established,  with  the 
permission  of  Heaven,  in  the  county  of  Galves- 
ton in  this  Republic,  a  University  for  the  edu- 
cation of  youth  in  all  those  branches  of  learn- 
ing which  may,  with  the  Divine  blessing,  exalt 
and  perpetuate  the  prosperity  of  the  country, 
by  maintaining  those  sacred  principles  of  truth 
and  morality,  light,  liberty  and  order,  which 
were  suppressed  in  the  dark  ages,  and  revived 
under  better  auspices. 

8.  Be    it   further   enacted.    That  the   said 
University  shall  >t>e  under   the  management,^ 
direction   and  government   of   a   number  of 
Trustees,  not  exceeding  forty,  or  a  quorum  or 


151 

Board  thereof,  not  less  than  seven ;  vacancies 
to  be  filled  by  the  Board. 

9.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  first  Trus- 
tees of  the  said  University  shall  be  the  follow- 
ing persons,  viz:  M.  B.  Lamar,  David  G.  Bur- 
net, Levi  Jones,  Mosley  Baker,  C.  M.  Gahagan, 
E.  L.  Holmes,  A.  Turner,  Anson  Jones,  A.  B. 
Shelby,  W.  H.  Jack,  Samuel  Houston,  Willis 
Roberts,  J.  P.  Henderson,  A.  H.  Philips,  S.  P. 
Andrews,  A.  A.  M.  Jackson,  Wm.  Y.  Allen, 
B.  C.  Franklin,  Jas.  F.  Perry,  Jas.  Love,  M.  L. 
Smith,  A.  J.  Yates,  C.  Van  Ness,  John  Mc- 
Cullough,  John  Hemphill,  John  B.  Jones,  Alex. 
Sommerville,  Abner  S.  Lipscomb,  H.  Stuart, 
Jno.  Menifee,  J.  S.  Sydnor,  Francis  Moore> 
J.  P.  Coyt,  A.  S.  Johnson. 

10.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  University  shall  be  ex  officio  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  the  Pro- 
fessors of  the  several  Colleges  shall  be  ex 
officio  members  of  the  Board.  Seven  Trustees 
shall  constitute  a  quorum  to  do  business ;  pro- 
vided  always,  that  there  shall  be  a  majority  of 
said  Board  present  at  such  meeting,  who  are 
not  Professors,  and  in  questions  relating  to  the 
fiscal  aflTairs  of  the  institution,  the  Professors 
shall  be  precluded  from  voting. 

11.  Whereas,  the  citizens  of  Galveston 
having  been  disappointed  in  their  original  in- 
tention and  hope  of  applying  for  a  Charter  to 
the    Congress  of    1839-40,    considering   the 


152 

wants  of  the  public  as  demanding  immediate 
action,  and  having  on  that  account  elected  a 
Board  of  Trustees,  which  proceeded  to  the 
appointment  of  a  President,  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  and  commenced  and  carried  on 
the  business  of  the  institution,  upon  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  present  instrument,  in  the  hopes 
of  its  receiving  the  sanction  of  Congress  as 
soon  as  possible. 

12.  Therefore,  be  it  enacted.  That  the 
said  organization,  elections,  appointments  and 
proceedings  being  consistent  with  the  consti- 
tution and  laws  of  the  republic,  and  with  this 
instrument,  and  calculated  for  the  promotion 
of  the  great  interests  of  the  country,  be  and 
they  hereby  are  ratified  and  confirmed. 

13.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  any  orderly 
change  w^hich  has  taken  place  in  the  original 
Board  be  confirmed. 

14.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  they  be 
allowed  to  meet  on  their  own  adjournments, 
and  if  a  quorum  be  wanting,  that  those  who 
are  present  may  adjourn  in  the  prospect  of 
obtaining  a  quorum. 

15.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  they  -shall 
appoint  stated  times  for  regular,  annual  or 
semi-annual  meetings. 

16.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  Presi- 
■dent  be  authorized,  and  in  possible  circum- 
stances, bound  with  due  notice,  to  call  extra- 
ordinary meetings. 


153 

17.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  said 
Trustees  shall,  in  their  corporate  capacity,  be 
liable  for  all  the  contracts,  acts  and  liabilities 
of  those  who  have  heretofore  acted  as  Trus- 
tees of  said  institution, 

18.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  this  insti- 
tution shall  be  entitled.  The  Galveston  Uni- 
versity ;  by  which  name,  style  and  title  it  shall 
become  and  be  a  corporation  or  body  politic 
in  law  and  in  fact,  to  have  continuance  by  tht 
name,  style  and  title  aforesaid. 

19.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  it  shall 
have  full  power  and  authority  to  make^  have 
and  use  a  common  seal,  with  such  device  and 
inscription  as  they  shall  deem  proper,  and  the 
same  to  break,  alter  and  renew  at  their  plea- 
sure. 

20.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  by  the 
name,  style  and  title  aforesaid,  it  shall  be  ca- 
pable to  sue  and  be  sued,  plead  and  be  im- 
pleaded, in  any  court  or  courts,  before  any 
judge  or  judges,  justice  or  justices,  in  all  man- 
ner of  suits,  complaints,  pleas,  causes,  matters 
and  demands  whatsoever,  and  all  and  every 
matter  and  thing  therein  to  do,  in  as  full  and 
effectual  a  manner  as  any  other  person  or  per- 
sons, bodies  politic  and  corporate,  within  this 
commonwealth,  may  or  can  do. 

21.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  said 
institution  and  their  successors,  by  the  name, 
style  and  title  aforesaid,  shall  be  able  and  ca- 


154 

pable  in  law,  according  to  the  terms  and  con- 
ditions of  this  instrument,  to  take,  receive  and 
hold  all  and  all  manner  of  lands,  tenements, 
rents,  annuities,  franchises  and  hereditaments, 
and  any  sum  or  sums  of  money,  and  manner 
and  portions  of  goods  and  chattels  granted  or 
bequeathed  to  the  said  University  or  any  of 
its  departments,  to  be  employed  and  disposed 
of  according  to  the  objects,  articles  and  con- 
ditions _of  the  donors,  any  misnomer  or  mis- 
take notwithstanding. 

22.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  said 
Board  and  faculties  shall  be  authorized  and 
empowered  to  make  rules,  by-laws  and  ordi- 
nances suitable  to  their  several  departments, 
and  to  do  every  thing  needful  for  the  good  go- 
vernment and  support  of  the  affairs  of  the  cor- 
poration, and  its  branches ;  provided  always, 
that  the  said  by-laws,  rules  and  ordinances,  or 
any  of  them,  be  not  repugnant  to  the  constitu- 
tion and  laws  of  this  Republic,  or  to  this  in- 
strument. 

23.  Be  it  further  enacted,  that  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  said  University  shall  have  pow- 
er to  establish  and  conduct  primary  schools 
and  academies  for  the  education  of  both  sexes, 
and  shall  receive  from  the  general  fund  appro- 
priated by  Congress  for  the  support  of  common 
schools,  an  equal  portion  of  said  funds  with 
other  schools  throughout  the  Republic. 

21.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  to  advance 


155 

from  the  commencement  of  this  undertaking 
to  its  completion,  as  Providence  may  afford 
means  and  opportunities,  the  corporation  shall 
need  no  other  enactment  than  the  present 
charter. 

25.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  to  the 
care  and  administration  of  the  said  corpora- 
tion shall  be  committed  the  appropriations 
made  by  Congress  for  the  establishment  of  a 
College  in  the  county  of  Galveston,  and  to 
encourage  and  aid  them  in  the  completion  of 
the  contemplated  organization.  Congress  does 
hereby  grant, 

[See  late  laws  of  Congress,  sec.  4th,  page 
121.] 

26.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  respec- 
tive sums  due  and  payable  to  the  Government 
on  account  of  grants,  surveys,  returns  and  re- 
cords for  the  benefit  of  the  said  institution  are 
hereby  remitted  and  donated  to  the  same,  and 
the  lands,  buildings  and  other  property  belong- 
ing to  it  are  hereby  declared  to  be  free  from 
any  kind  of  public  tax. 

27.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  every 
Trustee  elected  or  appointed  by  the  provisions 
of  this  act,  shall,  before  entering  on  the  duties 
assigned  him  as  trustee,  take  and  subscribe  the 
following  oath  before  some  judge  or  justice  of 
the  peace,  "  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm) 
that  I  will  faithfully  discharge  the  duties  as- 


156 

signed  me  as  Trustee,  to  the  best  of  my  skill 
and  abilities,  without  partiality  or  affection. 

28.  Be  it  further  enacted.  That  they  shall  take 
effectual  care  that  students  of  all  denomina- 
tions receive  fair,  generous,  and  impartial 
treatment,  and  that  means  be  used  to  examine 
and  promote  the  attainments  for  which  the  in- 
stitution is  established ;  and  they  shall  have 
power  to  confer  the  degrees  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts,  Master  of  Arts,  Doctor  of  Medicine  and 
Doctor  of  Laws. 


No.  2. 


Charter  and  By-laws  of  a  Church,  according  to  the  Bible,  the  Presbyte- 
rian Constitution,  and  Calvin's  Institutes. 

CHARTER. 

To  all  to  whom  these  presents  may  come, 
Greeting : 
Know  3^e  that  we,  whose  names  are  here- 
unto subscribed,  desiring  to  promote  the  glory 
of  God,  the  salvation  of  ourselves  and  relatives, 
and  the  best  interests  of  our  country  and  our 
race;  and  being  members  of  a  Presbyterian 
church,  in  connexion  with,  and  in  subordina- 
tion to  the  Presbytery  of  the 
Synod  of                  and  the  General  Assembly 
of                                     under  the  name  of  the 
Church                          and  also 


157 

being  citizens  of  this  Commonwealth,  and  de- 
sirous to  acquire  and  enjoy  the  powers  and 
immunities  of  a  corporation  or  body  politic  in 
law,  have  agreed  to  take  advantage  of  the 
provisions  of  the  act  of 

in  such  case  made  and  provided,  and  in  pur- 
suance of  the  provisions  of  that  act,  have 
agreed  on  the  following  articles. 

ARTICLE  I. 

This  Corporation  shall  be  entitled,  the  item  i. 

Church,  by  which 

name,  style  and  title  it  shall  become  and 

be  a  Corporation  or  body  politic  in  law 

and  in  fact,  to  have  continuance  by  the 

name,  style  and  title  aforesaid, awd/items. 

shall  have  full  power  and  authority  to 
make,  have  and  use  one  common  seal, 
with  such  device  and  inscription  as  they 
shall  deem  proper,  and  the  same  to  break, 

alter,  and  renew  at  their  pleasure; 

and  hy  the  name,  style  and  title  aforesaid,  item  3. 
shall  be  capable  to  sue  and  be  sued,  plead 
and  be  impleaded,  in  any  court  or  courts, 
before  any  judge  or  judges,  justice  or 
justices,  in  all  manner  of  suits,  complaints, 
pleas,  causes,  matters  and  demands,  what- 
soever, and  all  and  every  matter  and 
thing  therein,  to  do  in  as  full  and  effectual 
a  manner  as  any  other  person  or  persons, 
bodies  politic  and  corporate,  within  this 
14 


t§9 

Item 4. Commonwealth  may  or  can  do; and 

shall  be  authorized  and  empowered  to 
make  rules,  by-laws,  and  ordinances; 
and  to  do  every  thing  needful  for  the 
good  government  and  support  of  the  af- 
fairs of  the  said  Corporation:  Provided, 
always,  the  said  by-laws,  rules  and  ordi- 
nances, or  any  of  them,  be  not  repugnant 
to  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  United 
States,  to  the  constitution  and  laws  of 

Items,  this  Commonwealth, to  the  constitution 

of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  America,  or  to  this  instrument: 

Item  6 and  the  said  church  and  their  succes- 
sors, by  the  name,  style  and  title  afore- 
said, shall  be  able  and  capable  in  law, 
according  to  the  terms  and  conditions  of 
this  instrument,  to  take,  receive  and  hold 
all  and  all  manner  of  lands,  tenements, 
rents,  annuities,  franchises  and  heredita- 
ments, and  any  sum  or  sums  of  money, 
and  manner  and  portions  of  goods  and 
chattels,  bequeathed  to  the  said  church, 
to  be  employed  and  disposed  of  accord- 
ing to  the  objects,  articles  and  conditions 
of  this  instrument,  articles  and  by-laws 
of  the  said  church  or  the  will  or  inten- 
tion of  the  donors:  Provided,  always, 
that  the  clear  yearly  value  or  income  of 
the  messuages,  houses,  lands,  tenements, 
rents,  annuities,  or  other  hereditaments, 


159 

and  real  estate  of  the  said  church,  and 
the  interest  of  money,  by  the  said  church 

lent, shall  not  exceed  the  sum  of  two  item  7. 

thousand  dollars. 

ARTICLE  IL 

The  system  of  religion  maintained  by  item  i 
this  corporation  shall,  according  to  the 
obvious  tenor  of  its  standards,  be  Calvin- 
istic  Presbyterianism,  and  its  officers  and 
government  shall  strictly  conform  to  the 
Constitution  of  the  Presbyterian  church 

in  the  The  Corporation  item  2. 

shall  have  the  power  of  making  rules, 
by-laws  and  ordinances:  but  the  exercise 
of  that  power  shall  be  vested  in  the  Ses- 
sion of  the  Church,  to  be  composed  of 

the  pastor  and  ruling  elders Also  the  item  3. 

power  of  affixing  the  corporate  seal,  and 
doing  every  corporate  act,  shall  be  vested 
in  that  body  :  Provided,  always,  that  such 
rules,  by-laws  and  ordinances  shall  not 
be  inconsistent  with  the  constitution  and 
laws  of  the  United  States,  or  the  State 

of  or  with  the  princi-  item  4. 

pies  and  government  of  the  Presbyterian 

Church  in  the  The  caren^^^' 

of  the  temporalities  of  said  corporation 
shall  be  confided  in  a  Board  of  Deacons, 
whose    power   over   such   temporalities 


shall  not  extend  farther  than  a  superin- 
tendance  and  stewardship  of  the  same, 
and  the  execution  of  the  directions  of  the 

Church  Session,  in  regard  thereunto 

Item  6.  The  number  of  ruling  Elders  and  Dea- 
cons, shall  be  left  discretionary,  as  it  is 
in  their  ecclesiastical  constitution,  and 
Item  7 their  election  and  ordination  and  con- 
tinuance in  office  shall  be  regulated  by 
the  form  of  Government  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  the  and 
also  the  calling,  ordination,  installation, 
and  continuance  in  office  of  the  Pastor: 
but  some  of  those  points  which  are  alle- 
ged to  be  obscure  in  that  form  of  govern- 
item  8.  ment,   are  thus  regulated  ;   viz every 

member  of  the  church,  male  or  female,  in 
full  communion,  and  no  other,  shall  be 
entitled  to  vote  for  the  officers  of  the 
Item  9.  church The  voting  shall  be  by  the  rais- 
ing of  the  right  hand,  and  the  time  of 
the  election  shall  be  fixed  by  the  Church 
Session,  and  announced  for  two  succes- 

itemiosive  Sabbaths  from    the   pulpit The 

elections  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of 
worship  occupied  by  the  church. 

ARTICLE  III. 

Item  1.      The  terms  upon  which  individuals  shall 
be  admitted  to  hold  pews,  shall  be  regu- 


161 

lated  by  by-laws,  and  also  the  extent  and 
limitations  of  the  property  they  shall  ac- 
quire therein:  Provided,  always,  that  woitems. 
by-law  shall  authorize  any  individual  to 
intermeddle  in  the  government  of  the 
church,  except  such  as  are  in  full  com- 
munion therewith  ; nor  shall  any  qua-  item  3. 

Uficatlon  of  pew-holding  be  required  of 
such  communicant. 


RULES,  BY-LAWS  AND  ORDINANCES. 

ARTICI.E  I. 

Whereas  the  Charter  of  this  church  has  au- 
thorized it  to  use  a  seal,  therefore  it  is  ordained 
that  one  be  procured  having  the  following  su- 
perscription, and  that  the  said 
seal  shall  be  the  seal  of  the  corporation,  and 
as  such,  be  used  in  all  papers,  deeds,  and  writ- 
ings to  which  it  shall  be  necessary  or  proper 
to  affix  the  corporate  seaL 

ARTICLE  n. 

The  property  of  the  church  shall  be  given 
in  charge  to  the  Board  of  Deacons,  for  their 
superintendence,  with  liberty  to  employ  suita- 
ble persons  to  keep  it  in  proper  order :  but  the 
building  or  buildings  erected  or  kept  for  eccle- 
siastical or  spiritual  uses,  shall  be  at  the  dispo- 
•fial  of  the  Session  Proper,  for  such  uses. 
14# 


1G2 


ARTICLE  III. 


As  the  salaries  of  the  Pastor,  the  Precentor, 
and  the  Sexton  are  paid  by  the  church,  they 
have  the  exclusive  right  to  fix  or  alter  them. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

In  such  contingent  expenses  as  every  church 
is  liable  to,  the  board  is  not  at  liberty  to  ex- 
pend more  than  two  hundred  dollars  in  any 
year,  without  a  vote  of  the  church. 

ARTICLE  V. 

Though  the  church  has  the  regulating  of  the 
salaries,  and  has  the  powder  of  electing  Pastors, 
Elders,  and  Deacons,  the  choice  of  the  Sexton 
belongs  to  the  Deacons,  and  the  choice  of  the 
Precentor  to  the  Session  Proper. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

The  Deacons  have  the  lifting  of  collections 
in  the  church,  though  the  Session  Proper  have 
the  exclusive  right  to  order  these  collections. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

The  meetings  of  the  Board  must  be  an- 
nounced before  the  congregation ;  but  a  press 
of  business  may  require  and  justify  adjourn- 
ments from  day  to  day. 


163 


ARTICLE  VIII. 

It  is  desirable  that  to  have  every  thing  well 
done,  the  labour  and  care  connected  with  the 
superintendence  of  the  buildings,  pews,  burial 
ground  and  other  things,  should  be  judiciously 
distributed  among  the  nnembers  of  the  board. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

The  Deacons  shall  choose  from  among 
themselves,  a  President,  Secretary,  and  Trea- 
surer. 

ARTICLE  X. 

The  President  shall  preserve  order,  expedite 
business,  appoint  committees,  except  when  the 
board  choose  to  do  it,  and  sign  all  orders  on 
the  treasurer  for  moneys. 

ARTICLE  XI. 

The  Secretary  shall  record  the  proceedings, 
take  care  of  the  books  and  papers  and  seal, 
affix  the  latter  to  such  instruments  as  the  board 
may  order,  in  conformity  with  the  charter, 
and  attest  all  orders  on  the  treasurer. 

ARTICLE  XII. 

The  Treasurer  shall  receive  and  account 
for  all  the  moneys  of  the  church,  coming  into 
his  hands,  pay  all  orders,  when  properly  at- 
tested, and  give  a  quarterly  report  of  the  state 


164 


of  the  funds  to  the  board,  and  an  annual  re- 
port to  the  Church,  besides  subjecting  the 
books  and  papers  to  the  inspection  of  any 
seven  communicants,  who  may  ask  to  see 
them,  at  any  time. 


ARTICLE  XIII. 


The  annual  meeting  of  the  Church  is  ap- 
pointed on  the  Monday  of 
or  if  prevented,  as  soon  thereafter  as  conve- 
nient. 


ARTICLE  XIV. 


The  private  and  official  conduct  of  officers, 
is  the  subject  of  investigation  in  the  regular 
course  of  legitimate  Christian  discipline. 


ARTICLE  XV. 


Pew-rent  should  be  paid  and  the  time 

should  be  announced  from  the  desk  on  the  pre- 
vious Sabbath. 


ARTICLE  XVL 


Pews  may  be  evacuated  when  their  tenants, 
after  ten  days'  notice,  are  one  year  in  arrears. 


ARTICLE  XVn. 


When  there  are  several  applications  for  the 
same  pew,  their  claims  may  be  decided  by  lot. 


165 


ARTICLE  XVIIT. 

When  there  is  a  dispute  between  persons 
renting  the  sanne  pew,  which  cannot  be  settled 
by  the  pew-agent,  an  appeal  may  be  taken  to 
the  board ;  to  whose  decision  the  parties  re- 
fusing to  submit  will  lose  the  right  to  the  pew. 

ARTICLE  XIX. 

Every  one  who  shall  have  been  a  renter  for 
the  term  of  and  not  in  arrears,  shall 

be  entitled  to  interment. 

ARTICLE  XX. 

The  renting  of  half  a  pew,  with  the  above 
qualifications,  shall  entitle  a  family  to  inter- 
ment; that  is,  the  parents  and  such  of  their 
children  as  are  under  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
together  with  unmarried  female  children,  of 
any  age,  residing  with  their  parents,  and  sup- 
ported by  them. 

ARTICLE  XXI. 

The  board  shall  have  a  discretionary  power 
of  interring  the  widows  and  orphans  of  rent- 
ers and  members,  providentially  unable  to  pay. 

ARTICLE  XXII. 

Strangers  are  to  pay  at  the  discretion  of  the 
board  for  a  place  of  interment. 


16G 


ARTICLE  XXIII. 


The  Deacons  are  expected  to  regulate  the 
duties  and  fees  of  the  Sexton. 

ARTICLE  XXIV. 

Communicants  may  nominate  and  vote  in 
the  affairs  of  the  church  or  congregation ; 
which  words  properly  signify  the  same  thing. 
See  Form  of  Government,  Chap.  xiii.  sect.  2, 
and  the  Scripture  there  quoted.  Compare 
Chap.  XV.  sect.  4.  It  is  unscriptural,  unpresby- 
terian,  unfaithful,  dangerous,  and  absurd,  that 
the  peace  and  prosperity  of  a  church  should 
be  involved,  that  her  ecclesiastical  course 
should  be  shaped,  and  her  ecclesiastical  destiny 
decided,  by  the  votes  and  acts  of  those  who 
are  not  ecclesiastical  persons;  who  have  not 
adopted  her  constitution,  not  acknowledged 
her  obligations,  nor  entered  her  society  in  the 
plain,  open,  honourable,  easy  and  regular  way. 

ARTICLE  XXV. 

Our  ecclesiastical  constitution  says,  "  Every 
congregation  shall  elect  persons  to  the  office 
of  Ruling  Elder,  and  to  the  office  of  Deacon, 
or  either  of  them,  in  the  mode  most  approved 
and  in  use  in  that  congregation."  See  Form 
of  Government,  Chap.  xiii.  sect.  2.  The  Scrip- 
lure  quoted  in  support  of  this  provision,  shows 
that  it  should  not  ratify  any  unscriptural,  and 


167 

unconstitutional,  and  preposterous  mode  of 
election,  though  such  disorderly  mode  should  be 
most  approved  and  in  use  in  some  church.  It 
also  shows  that  it  should  not  ratify  the  conduct 
of  some  churches  in  omitting  to  elect  Elders, 
and  of  others  in  omitting  to  elect  Deacons  at 
all,  although  such  omission  may  be  most  ap- 
proved and  in  use  among  them.  It  was  in- 
tended to  confirm  and  protect  an  election  of 
officers,  not  the  neglect  of  that  important  duty; 
and,  that  it  may  be  consistent  with  Scripture, 
and  scriptural  fidelity,  and  the  principles  of 
civil  and  religious  liberty,  and  the  principles  of 
common  justice  and  common  sense,  as  stated 
in  the  last  article  above,  it  should  protect  a 
lawful  election,  and  not  an  unlawful  one,  how- 
soever approved  and  in  use  the  violation  of 
law  may  have  been.  It  is  lawful  to  elect  by 
voice,  by  ballot,  or  by  hand.  In  conformity 
with  the  usage  of  our  denomination,  our  char- 
ter adopts  the  latter. 

ARTICLE  XXVI. 

In  relation  to  the  election  of  a  Preaching 
Elder,  our  constitution  says,  "No  person  shall 
be  entitled  to  vote,  who  refuses  to  submit  to 
the  censures  of  the  church,  regularly  admi- 
nistered, or  who  does  not  contribute  his  just 
proportion,  according  to  his  own  engagements, 
or  the  rules  of  that  congregation  to  all  its  ne- 


168 

cessary  expenses.  See  Form  of  Government, 
Chap.  XV.  sect.  4.  Here  are  two  requisites  to 
the  elective  franchise.  The  first  is  submission 
to  regular  discipline,  which  certainly  pre-sup- 
poses  a  regular  standing,  contemplated  in  the 
article  preceding  the  last  above.  The  second 
is  the  payment  of  church  dues,  which  certainly 
does  not  exclude  any  Christian  man  or  w^o- 
man,  who  has  no  debts  to  pay.  It  does  not 
exclude  a  Christian  wife,  whose  husband  does 
all  the  promising  and  paying  for  her.  This 
does  not  exclude  Christians,  male  or  female, 
who  sit  with  their  parents,  guardians,  relatives 
or  friends,  unless  they  have  promised  some- 
thing which  they  can  pay,  but  will  not.  It 
does  not  exclude  the  poor  Christian,  who  is 
acknowledged  by  the  proper  authorities,  to  be 
willing  but  unable  to  pay.  It  does  not  exclude 
the  Christian  renter  of  one  seat,  nor  one  who 
applies  for  a  pew  or  seat,  and  cannot  obtain 
one. 

ARTICLE  XXVIT. 

A  Minister  cannot  constitutionally  claim  the 
office  of  Moderator  of  the  Session,  before  he 
is  lawfully  constituted  the  President  of  the 
Congregation.  In  an  orderly  call  the  congre- 
gation invites  him  (not  merely  to  preside  in 
the  Session,  for  that  is  only  a  consequence, 
but  they  invite  him)  to  be  the  President  of  the 
Congregation ;  and  in  that  chair  he  is  inaugu- 


169 

rated  by  the  Presbyterial  act  of  installation. 
He  is,  therefore,  first  called  and  constituted 
President  of  the  Congregation,  and  he  is  then, 
ex  officio,  as  the  Scotch  Church  expresses  it, 
Moderator  of  the  Session.  In  considering  the 
title  "  Presidents  of  the  Churches,"  exegetical 
of  the  title  "Bishops,"  this  church  agrees  with 
the  best  authorities,  Jewish  and  Christian,  an- 
cient and  modern.  See  Stuart's  Collection, 
Book  1st,  Title  9th,  Section  3d.  Our  Form  of 
Government,  Chap.  ix.  sect.  3.  Miller  on  the 
Ruling  Elder,  pp.  38,  221. 

ARTICLE  XXVIIT. 

The  Session  Proper  embraces  the  Minister 
and  the  Elders.  The  Session  General  is  con- 
stituted by  the  addition  of  the  Deacons,  when 
invited  to  attend,  and  exercise  their  consulta- 
tive power.  Thus,  without  usurpation  by  the 
Scriptural  Elder,  or  degradation  of  the  Scrip- 
tural Deacon,  the  former  has  some  powers 
above  the  latter,  although  they  are  ordained 
with  the  same  vow,  and  are  members  of  the 
same  Session:  as  the  husband,  without  usur- 
pation, is  the  head  of  the  wife,  without  her 
degradation,  though  they  are  the  same  flesh: 
and  as  the  Preaching  Elder,  without  usurpa- 
tion, has  powers  (such  as  preaching,  and  mo- 
derating, ordaining  and  administering  the  sa- 
craments) above  the  Ruling  Elder,  without 
15 


170 


any  degradation  of  that  important   and   ho- 
nourable Scriptural  officer. 


No.  3. 


Correspondence  between  Dr.  Moriarty  and  others,  in  which  he  declines 
a  discussion  of  Popery  with  W.  L.  M.,  ahhough  he  was  understood 
to  have  thrown  the  gauntlet  to  Protestants.  Similar  fact  in  Pitts- 
burgh some  years  ago. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

To  Dr.  P.  E.  Mori  arty,  of  St  Augustine's 
Church,  Philadelphia, 

Sir:  On  my  return,  after  a  long  absence, 
certain  gentlemen  of  this  city  showed  me  a 
short  correspondence  between  them  and  your- 
self, which  I  will  here  take  the  liberty  of 
copying. 

Philadelphia,  Sept,  1,  1840. 
Dr.  Moriarty, 

Dear  Sir:  Your  numerous  and  able  Lec- 
tures on  Romanism,  have  produced  an  excite- 
ment in  the  public  mind,  which  justifies  the 
idea  that  a  public  discussion,  in  the  viva  voce 
form,  of  the  comparative  merits  of  Romanism 
and  Protestantism,  as  derived  from  a  divine 
authenticity,  would  be  welcomed  by  both 
parties. 


171 

To  the  Protestants  of  our  city,  it  is  obvious 
that  you  have  made  your  Lectures  on  Roman- 
ism the  occasion  for  an  attack  upon  Protes- 
tantism. And  to  meet  this  attack  in  a  manner 
best  calculated  to  elicit  truth,  and  keep  up  the 
interest  which  you  have  already  excited,  we, 
in  behalf  of  the  Protestant  interest  of  our  city, 
invite  you  to  a  public  discussion  of  the  above 
important  question,  with  some  Protestant  cler- 
gyman who  may  feel  willing  to  devote  a  few 
evenings  to  the  promotion  of  religious  truth, 
and  the  glory  of  Him  by  whom  it  has  been 
revealed. 

An  immediate  answer  in  writing,  will  much 
oblige  your  humble  servants, 

Geo.  Fithian, 
A.  W.  Dickson, 

&C.  &C.  &iC. 

To  Messrs.  Geo.  Fithian,  A.   W.  Dickson,  and 
others. 

Gentlemen:  A  letter  bearing  your  signa- 
tures, along  with  those  of  many  other  persons, 
was  handed  to  me  on  this  morning.  The  pur- 
port of  this  letter  is  an  invitation  to  a  discus- 
sion of  the  comparative  merits  of  Romanism 
and  Protestantism.  You  request  an  immedi- 
ate answer  in  writing.  My  answer  is,  that  a 
course  of  Lectures  on  the  doctrines  of  the 
Catholic   Church,   will   be    resumed    by   me, 


172 

(please  God,)  on  the  first  or  second  Sunday 
of  October,  when  yourselves  and  friends  will 
have  an  opportunity  of  learning  the  truth. 

You  style  my  Lectures — "  Lectures  on  Ro- 
manism," which  language  I  consider  imperti- 
nent and  offensive.  Also,  I  beg  leave  to  in- 
form you,  that  I  deem  your  letter,  taken  alto- 
gether, a  very  unwarrantable  intrusion. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

P.  E.  MORIARTY. 

St.  Augustine's  Church,  Philad.,  "> 
9th  September,  1840.  > 

It  was  my  intention  to  take  or  transmit  to 
you  a  respectful  and  innocent  letter,  as  the 
gentlemen  in  question  have  already  done:  but 
your  answer  to  them  warns  me  that  such  a 
liberty  would  be  considered  "  a  very  unwar- 
rantable intrusion."  Mr.  Hughes  refused  to 
correspond  with  me,  because  I  would  not  use 
the  word  "  Reverend,''^  in  addressing  him :  and 
now  that  he  is  a  Bishop,  he  w^ould  require  me 
to  call  him  "  Right  Reverend,^^  or  "  My  Lord.^^ 
The  above  letter  to  you  contains  the  requisite 
reverence ;  why  are  you  not  propitiated  1 

But  they  call  your  polemical  harangues 
^^  Lectures  on  Romanism  ;^^  a  language  which 
you  pronounce  "  very  impertinent  and  offen- 
siveJ^  It  is  my  full  conviction,  that  they  in- 
tended to  be  perfectly  respectful;  and  that  they 
did  not  use  a  single  word  which  they  thought 
would  be  esteemed  impertinent  or  offensive. 


173 

If  they  had  known  that  many  who  worship  the 
Roman  Pontiff  as  the  Supreme  Head  of  the 
Church,  are  at  the  same  time  infected  with  the 
Romanophobia,  they  would  doubtless  have  sub- 
stituted some  other  word  for  ''Romanism.^' 
But  they  will  soon  learn  that  every  Roman 
priest  is  in  himself  a  sort  of  Index  expurgato- 
rius;  and  that  when  he  is  respectfully  invited 
to  a  public  discussion  to  which  he  is  averse, 
he  can  find  endless  impertinences  and  scan- 
dals, heresies  and  treasons,  with  unwarrant- 
able intrusions  in  the  invitation.  And  yet  the 
very  man  who  thus  condemns  them  for  a  polite 
invitation  to  an  honourable  interview,  sends  in 
the  same  letter,  a  less  courteous  invitation  to 
his  correspondents  and  their  friends,  to  come 
to  his  lectures,  that  they  may  hear  the  truth. 

To  a  Protestant  the  truth  is  a  great  attrac- 
tion; and  if  you  are  sincerely  and  consistently 
resolved  to  declare  it,  I  wish  no  controversy 
with  you.  You  w^ill  then  tell  the  people  that 
Jacob  never  worshiped  the  top  of  his  staff, 
nor  any  other  relic,  as  is  falsely  attributed  to 
him  in  your  Latin  and  English  Bibles.  If  you 
are  for  the  truth,  you  will  oppose  those  lying 
wonders  which  Scripture  attributes  to  Anti- 
christ. You  will  aid  de  Plancy  in  exposing 
relic-mongers,  who  in  different  places  have  ten 
heads,  each  passing  for  the  head  of  St.  Leger; 
twenty  jaws  of  John  the  Baptist ;  a  dozen  and 
a  half  arms  of  the  Apostle  James;  and  the 
15* 


174 

same  number  of  bodies  for  Paul.  If  you  are 
for  the  truth,  you  will  denounce  the  legends 
of  your  Breviary,  in  which  St.  Dennis,  after 
having  his  head  cut  off,  carried  it  in  his 
hands,  in  a  walk  of  some  miles.  If  you  teach 
the  truth,  you  will  expose  that  blasphemous 
falsehood  of  Romanism,  in  which  the  "  hoc 
est  corpus,"  or  as  some  read  it,  the  ^' hocus 
pocus^^  of  a  priest  professes  to  transubstan- 
tiate a  wafer  into  a  divinity,  and  then  sacrifice 
and  swallow  him. 

A  written  statement  is  now  before  me,  from 
several  persons,  who  heard  you  on  the  last 
mentioned  subject,  use  such  language  of  de- 
fiance to  Protestant  ministers,  as  impressed 
their  minds  with  a  belief  that  you  were  willing 
to  have  a  public  discussion  of  the  merits  of 
your  system  and  ours.  This  had  its  eflfect  in 
causing  the  above  letter  to  be  taken  to  you; 
and  in  causing  me  now  to  express  a  willing- 
ness to  meet  you  in  public  debate,  if  Provi- 
dence so  direct.  You  and  I  have  both  deh- 
vered  lectures.  I  am  willing  to  subject  mine 
to  the  test  of  a  public  investigation.  I  under- 
stand that  you  speak  very  confidently  of  the 
weakness  and  folly  of  our  views,  and  of  the 
strength  and  success  of  your  cause  and  of  your 
lectures.     Why  then  object  to  the  ordeal  ? 

Respectfully, 

Wm.  L.  MCalla. 


175 

Dr.  Moriarty  is  not  the  first  priest  who  has 
endeavoured  to  gain  credit  for  boldness,  and 
then  retreated.  When  I  was  lecturing  on 
Romanism  in  Pittsburgh,  some  years  ago,  a 
Mr.  O'Riley  acted  in  the  same  way,  as  will 
appear  from  the  following  certificates  of  Mr. 
Knox,  viz. 

On  the  14th  day  of  June,  1835,  I  heard  a 
sermon  from  Mr.  O'Riley,  the  Roman  Catholic 
priest,  in  the  cathedral  in  Pittsburgh;  in  which, 
according  to  my  understanding,  he  challenged 
the  Protestant  sects  to  prove,  in  fair  discussion, 
that  his  church  was  either  apostate,  heretical, 
or  schismatic. 

John  Knox. 

On  this  15th  day  of  June,  1835,  I  accompa- 
nied Mr.  MCalla  to  Mr.  O'Riley,  to  know  if 
the  above  was  correctly  stated  and  understood. 
After  some  conversation,  he  admitted  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  above  statement,  but  refused  to 
engage  in  public  debate. 

John  Knox. 


176 


No.  4. 

Skeleton  of  Principles  and  Practices  maintained  by  a  Pastor  who  tried 
to  be  consistent. 

A  sermon  was  delivered  on  Jer.  vi.  16: 
"...  ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good 
way.  ..."  The  following  is  an  abstract  of 
the  principles  and  practices  which  it  concisely 
discussed,  that  it  might  be  known,  before  the 
call  w^as  accepted,  whether  the  congregation 
could  agree  with  their  pastor-elect.  The  notes 
merely  present  the  subjects,  in  many  cases, 
that  the  speaker  who  arranged  them,  might 
form  the  propositions,  and  enforce  them  at  the 
time  of  dehvering  the  discourse. 

Principles  and  Practices. 

Living  by  faith — Covenant  keeping — Consis- 
tency— Making  sacrifices  for  principle — Man- 
fearing  spirit— Man-pleasing  spirit — Doing  evil 
that  good  may  come,  or  good  that  evil  may 
come — Being  accessory  to  others'  sins — Re- 
spect of  persons — Respect  of  party— -Obedi- 
ence to  God  rather  than  man — All  for  edifica- 
tion— Ceasing  from  wrong  instruction — Pro- 
tecting the  flock — Striving  to  excel — Zeal  and 
consistency,  wise  and  obligatory;  Radicalism 
foolish  and  ruinous — Moderation  good — Mode- 
ratism  bad — Liberality  good — Liberalism  bad 
— Heretics  and  Schismatics  rejected — Act  and 


177 

Testimony;  Reformation  principles — Polemics 
— Stand  for  liberty — Tender  consciences  how 
treated — Preaching  the  whole  counsel  of  God 
— Politics  how  treated — Emancipation  good; 
Fanny  Wrightism  bad — The  rich — Personali- 
ties— General  and  particular  information  from 
the  pulpit — Preaching  on  the  Sabbath  and  on 
week  days — Prayer  meetings — Bible  classes — 
Catechetical  classes — Sunday  schools  under 
the  direction  of  the  Session,  and  none  but  pro- 
fessing teachers — Baptism  confined  to  believers 
and  their  seed — Marriages,  not  solemnize  on 
the  Sabbath — Funerals,  not  attend  on  the  Sab- 
bath; and  about  speaking  at  the  grave,  in  such 
a  way  as  to  court  popularity,  or  endanger 
health — Young  Men's  meeting,  for  hearing 
Jews  and  Samaritans  alternately,  rejected — 
Preaching  for  others — Preaching  with  others 
— Reading  notices  which  ensnare  the  people, 
rejected — Contributions — Agents — Protestant 
mission — Sunday-school  Union  rejected,  as  be- 
ing a  combination  against  us — Societies  for 
education,  missions,  &c. — Colleges — Theologi- 
cal seminaries — Boards:  Always  favour  those 
bodies  which  favour  the  doctrine,  order  and 
morality  of  the  Bible — Ecclesiastical  organi- 
zation preferable,  cceteris  paribus — Spiritual 
and  secular  officers  should  be  elders  and  dea- 
cons; pew-holders  not  entitled  to  vote  for 
money — Government,  discipline  and  worship 
regulated  by  the  spiritual  department;  to  which 


178 

last  belong  the  psalmody  and  music  of  the 
church — No  singing  by  proxy — Certificates, 
of  no  avail  from  unacknowledged  bodies,  and 
do  not  bar  examination  from  acknowledged — 
Vending  spirits — Sabbath — Family  worship 
indispensable — Theatre  and  dancing  not  al- 
lowed. 


No.  5. 

Ecclesiastical  Manual. 

RULES  OF  ORDER  FOR  ECCLESIAS- 
TICAL  JUDICATORIES. 

INDEX. 

Abuse  of  liberty  to  be  avoided,  47 
Adjournment,  when  no  quorum,  3 
when  in  order,  42 
remove  the  main  question,  54 
Amendment,  leg-itimate,  49 
its  rank,  45.  50 
suspend  the  main  question,  54 
may  partly  preclude  the  merits,  47 
to  an  amendment,  48.  52 
Appeal,  40 

Chairman,  first  named,  12 
Clerk  temporary,  for  one  year,  4 
file  and  endorse  papers,  8 
prepare  roll  for  Moderator,  6 

occasional  docket  for  Moderator,  7 
Clerk  Stated,  call  roll,  4 

read  minutes,  5 
Commitment,  its  rank,  45 


179 

Committee,  of  bills  and  overtures,  9 
judicial,   10 

appointed  by  Moderator,  11 
first  named,  chairman,  12 
not  sit  during  the  session  of  the  judicatory 

without  leave,  13 
of  the  whole,   14 
Decorum.     See  Order. 

Discussion,  precluded  in  an  appeal  on  a  point  of  order,  40 
on  a  motion  for  adjournment,  42 
on  the  previous  question,  46 
Dissent,  40 

Division  of  the  question,   18 
Docket,  standing  and  occasional,  7 
Explanation,  30,31 

Incidental  questions,  what,  and  their  rank,  53 
allow  one  speech,  30 
suspend  the  main  question,  54 
Interruption  of  the  Moderator,  21 

of  a  speaker,  31 
Interlocutory  meeting,  what,  16 

not  enter  upon  judicial  business,  25 
Judicial  cases,  solemnly  announced,  24 

not  in  interlocutory  or  Committee  of  the 

Whole,  25 
opening  and  closing,  26 
Laying  on  the  table.     See  Postponement. 
Liberty  without  licentiousness,  47 
Minutes  read  and  corrected,  5 
Moderator  chosen  for  a  year,  4 

appoint  committees,  11 
Motion,  seconded,  repeated,  or  read,  written,  17 
first  made,  first  put ;  with  limitations,  41 
Order,  in  judicial  pleadings,  26 

incidental  question,  rank,  53 
suspend  main  question,  54 
address  the  Moderator  standing,  27,  28 
number  of  speakers  and  speeches,  29,  30 
may  explain,  but  not  interrupt  without   leave, 
30,31 


ISO 

Order,  in  behaviour,  32.  34 
in  language,  33,  34 
tried,  35-40. 
of  the  day,  rank,  43 

remove  the  main  question  from  the  House, 
54 
Papers.     See  Reading. 
Personality,  arraigning  motives,  33 
Pleadings.     See  Judicial. 
Postponement,  equal  to  lying  on  the  table,  51 

indefinite,  its  effect  on  reconsideration,  23 
Previous  question,  its  rank,  44,  45 
its  form,  46 

its  requisite  number,  46 
arrests  discussion,  46 
its  effect  upon  reconsideration,  23 
easily  abused,  46,  47 

not  allowed  in  Committee  of  the  Whole,  14 
Priority  in  rising  to  speak,  29 

incidental  question,  its  rank,  53 
suspend  the  main  question,  54 
Private  session,  5 
Privileged  questions,  allow  one  speech,  30 

their    names,   rank,    and    relation, 
41-54 
Protest,  40 
Question  divided,  18 
removed,  54 
incidental,  "^ 

privileged,  >See  those  words, 
previous,     j 
Quorum,  appear,   1,  2 
wanting,  3 

of  House,  and  Committee  of  the  Whole,  the 
same,  14 
Reading  papers,  incidental  question,  53 
suspend  the  main  question,  54 
Reconsideration,  23 
Removing  the  question,  54 
Reporter,  15 


181 

Roll,  general  and  particular,  5,  6 
Speaking",  one  and  the  first  up,  29 

once  on  some  questions,  30 

twice  on  some  questions,  30 

again  to  explain,   30 
Striking  out  a  paragraph  preceded  by  a  motion  to  amend, 

50 
Incidental  question  suspends  the  main  question,  54 
Withdrawing  a  motion,  restricted,  20 

incidental  question,  remove  the  main  ques- 
tion, 53,  54 
Writing  a  motion,  17 
Yeas  and  Nays,  22 

Introductory  Address  of  the  Moderator  to  his 
successor  in  office. 

Sir:  It  is  my  duty  to  inform  you,  and  an- 
nounce to  this  judicatory,  that  you  are  duly 
elected  to  the  office  of  their  Moderator.  The 
regulations  for  your  government  and  ours  are 
found  in  the  Bible,  the  Constitution,  and  the 
Rules  of  Order  adopted  by  this  body.  May 
the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Trinity  direct  and 
support  you  in  duty,  and  give  to  this  house, 
and  all  under  its  care,  wisdom,  fidelity,  and 
prosperity  under  your  administration. 

1.  Moderator  Present,  and  Open  with  Prayer » 

The  Moderator  shall  take  the  chair  at  the 
hour  to  which  the  judicatory  stands  adjourned; 
shall  immediately  call  the  members  to  order, 
and  on  the  appearance  of  a  quorum,  shall  open 
the  session  with  prayer. 
16 


182 

2.  Moderator  Absent. 

If  a  quorum  be  assembled  at  the  hour  ap- 
pointed, and  the  Moderator  be  absent,  the  last 
Moderator  present,  or  if  there  be  none,  the  se- 
nior member  present  shall  be  requested  to  take 
his  place  without  delay  until  a  new  election. 

3.  Quorum  Wanting, 

If  a  quorum  be  not  assembled  at  the  hour 
appointed,  any  two  members  shall  be  compe- 
tent to  adjourn  from  time  to  time,  that  an  oppor- 
tunity may  be  given  for  a  quorum  to  assemble, 
and  if  necessary  they  may  finally  adjourn. 

4.  Roll,  Moderator,  and  Clei^k, 

If  there  be  a  quorum,  they  shall  constitute, 

call  the  roll,  and  (after  marking  the  absentees) 

shall    choose    a    Moderator    and    Temporary 

Clerk,  who  shall  hold  their  offices  for  one  year. 

5.  Minutes  Read  and  Corrected, 
The  minutes  of  the  last  sitting  shall  be  read, 
and,  if  requisite,  verbally  corrected. 

6.  Roll  Made. 
It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Clerk,  as  soon 
as  possible  after  the  commencement  of  the  ses- 
sion, to  form  a  complete  roll  of  the  members 
present,  and  put  the  same  into  the  hands  of  the 
Moderator;  and  it  shall  also  be  the  duty  of  the 
Clerk  whenever  any  additional  members  take 


183 

their  seats,  to  add  their  names,  in  their  proper 
places,  to  the  said  roll. 

7.  Dockets* 
The  temporary  Clerk  shall  furnish  the  Mo- 
derator with  a  docket  suitable  to  the  present 
meeting;  and  a  particular  index  and  a  standing 
docket,  suitable  for  the  meetings  in  general, 
shall  be  appended  to  this  Manual. 

8.  Papers  Filed  and  Endorsed. 
It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Clerk,  immedi- 
ately to  file  all  papers,  in  the  order  in  which 
they  have  been    read,  with    proper   endorse- 
ments, and  to  keep  them  in  perfect  order. 

9.  Committee  of  Bills  and  Overtures. 
At  every  meeting  there  shall  be  a  Commit- 
tee of  Bills  and  Overtures,  to  prepare  and  di- 
gest business  for  the  body.  Petitions,  questions 
relating  either  to  doctrine  or  order,  and  usually 
all  propositions  tending  to  general  laws,  shall 
be  laid  before  the  Committee  of  Bills  and  Over- 
tures before  they  be  offered  to  the  Judicatory. 
Any  person  thinking  himself  aggrieved  by  this 
Committee  may  complain  to  the  Judicatory. 

10.  Judicial  Committee. 
There  shall  also  be  appointed,  at  every  meet- 
ing, a  Judicial  Committee,  to  take  charge  of  all 
appeals  and  references  brought  to  the  court,  to 
ascertain  whether  they  are  in  order;  to  digest 


184 

and  arrange  all  the  documents  relating  to  the 
same ;  and  to  propose  to  the  judicatory  the  best 
method  of  proceeding  in  each  case. 

11.  Moderator  appoint  Committees. 
It  is  the  duty  of  the  Moderator  to  appoint 
all  committees,  except  in  those  cases  in  which 
the  body  shall  decide  otherwise. 

12.   Chairman  of  Committee. 
The  person  first  named  on  any  committee 
shall  be  its  chairman,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to 
convene  the  committee.     In  his  absence,  this 
shall  be  done  by  the  next  member  present. 

13.  Committee  not  sit  without  leave. 
No  Committee  shall  sit  during  the  sitting  of 
the  judicatory  without  special  leave. 

14.  Committee  of  the  Whole. 
There  are  some  things  which  may  be  pro- 
fitably referred  to  a  Committee  of  the  whole 
House.  The  form  of  going  from  the  House 
into  Committee,  is  for  the  Moderator,  on  mo- 
tion, to  put  the  question  that  the  House  do  now 
resolve  itself  into  a  Committee  of  the  Whole,  to 
take  under  consideration  such  a  matter,  na  ming 
it.  If  determined  in  the  affirmative,  the  Mode- 
rator of  the  Judicatory  gives  place  to  the  Chair- 
man of  the  Committee  nominated  by  himself. 
Their  quorum  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  House ; 
and  if  a  defect  happen,  the  Chairman  of  the 


185 

Committee,  on  a  motion  and  question,  rises 
and  reports  the  clause  of  their  dissolution  to  the 
Moderator  of  the  Body,  who  resumes  the  chair. 
When,  through  the  lapse  of  time^  or  the  finish- 
ing of  business  or  other  cause,  it  is  right  to 
dissolve,  a  member  moves  that  the  Committee 
may  rise,  and  the  Chairman  report  their  pro- 
ceedings to  the  House;  which  being  resolved, 
the  Chairman  giving  place  to  the  Moderator  of 
the  House,  informs  him  of  the  state  of  the  busi- 
ness referred  to  them ;  and  that  he  is  ready  to 
make  report  when  the  House  shall  think  proper 
to  receive  it.  If  the  House  have  time  to  re- 
ceive it,  a  motion  is  made  to  that  effect,  and  a 
question  put  that  it  be  received,  and  when.  A 
Committee  of  the  Whole  gives  an  opportunity 
to  the  Moderator  to  partake  in  the  discussion, 
and  the  sense  of  the  whole  is  sometimes  bet- 
ter taken,  because  in  all  committees  every  one 
speaks  as  often  as  he  pleases;  a  privilege,  the 
abuse  of  which,  may  cause  the  Committee  pre- 
maturely to  rise,  and  be  denied  leave  to  sit 
again.  But  a  Committee  of  the  Whole  cannot 
commit  nor  pre-question  a  subject,  nor  can  it 
adjourn  as  others  may  ;  but  if  their  business  be 
unfinished,  they  may  report  progress,  and  ask 
leave  to  sit  again,  and  at  what  time. 

16.  Private  Session,  and  Reporter. 

The  judicatory  may  exercise  the  right  to 
sit  in  private,  on  business  which,  in  their  judg- 
16* 


A 


186 

ment,  ought  not  to  be  matter  of  public  specula- 
tion. And  if  at  any  time  a  reporter  be  mani- 
festly guilty  of  producing  such  evils  as  this  rule 
would  avoid,  by  unfair,  unjust,  false,  and  per- 
nicious reports  of  the  deliberations  of  this  body, 
such  reporter,  being  convicted  by  his  own  pub- 
lications, must  not  have  another  opportunity 
of  abusing  the  courtesy  of  the  House,  lest  by 
allowing  mischiefs  which  it  may  lawfully  and 
honourably  prevent,  the  judicatory  may  be  a 
partaker  of  the  crime. 

16.  Interlocutory  Meetings, 
Besides  the  right  to  deliberate  in  private, 
when  circumstances  justify  it,  the  body  may, 
when  necessary,  hold  interlocutory  meetings,  in 
which  the  members  may  converse  freely,  with- 
out the  usual  formalities  of  dehberation. 

17.  Motions  Written  if  Required, 
A  motion  made  must  be  seconded,  and  after- 
ward repeated  by  the  Moderator,  or  read  aloud 
before  it  is  debated ;  and  every  motion  shall 
be  reduced  to  wTiting,  if  the  Moderator,  or  any 
member  require  it. 

18.  Division  of  a  Question, 
If  a  question  contain  several  parts,  it  may, 
with  the  consent  of  the  House,  be  divided  into 
two  or  more  questions. 

19.  Filling  Blanks, 
When  various  motions  are  made  with  re- 


187 

spect  to  the  filling  of  blanks  with  particular 
nnnnbers  or  times,  the  question  shall  always  be 
first  taken  on  the  highest  number  and  the  long- 
est time. 

20.  Withdrawing  Motions, 
Any  member  who  shall  have  made  a  mo- 
tion shall  have  liberty  to  withdraw  it,  with  the 
consent  of  his  second,  before  any  debate  has 
taken  place  thereon;  but  not  afterwards,  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  House. 

21.  Interruption  in  taking  the  Vote. 
A  member  may  not  rise  and  speak  at  any 
time,   after   the  Moderator    has    commenced 
taking  the  vote. 

22.  Yeas  and  Nays. 

The  yeas  and  nays  on  any  question  shall 
not  be  recorded  unless  required  by  one  third 
of  the  members  present. 

23.  Reconsideration, 

A  question  shall  not  be  again  called  up  or 
reconsidered  at  the  same  meeting  at  which  it 
has  been  decided,  except  by  the  consent  of  two 
thirds  of  the  members  who  were  present  at  the 
decision;  and  three-fourths,  if  the  question  to 
be  reconsidered  has  been  removed  by  the  pre- 
vious question  or  an  indefinite  postponement. 
In  either  case,  the  motion  for  reconsideration 
must  be  made  and  seconded  by  persons  who 
voted  with  the  majority. 


188 


24.  Judicial  Business, 

Whenever  the  House  is  about  to  sit  in  a 
judicial  capacity,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Moderator  solemnly  to  announce,  that  the  Ju- 
dicatory is  about  to  pass  to  the  consideration  of 
the  business  assigned  for  trial,  and  to  enjoin  on 
the  members  to  recollect  and  regard  the  high 
character,  as  judges  of  a  court  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  solemn  duty,  in  which  they  are  about 
to  act. 

25.  Judicial  Case  not  begun  in  Committee  of  the 
Whole  or  Interlocutory. 

No  case  including  charges  against  any  in- 
dividual or  individuals,  is  to  be  entered  on  in 
Committee  of  the  Whole,  or  in  Interlocutory, 
lest  there  be  a  prejudicing  of  the  case. 

26.  Open  and  Close. 
In  the  pleadiiigs  of  judicial  cases,  the  party 
who  assumes  the  affirmative,  shall  have  the 
right  of  opening  and  closing. 

27.  Speak  one  at  a  time  and  standing. 

A  member,  while  speaking,  shall,  unless  ex- 
cused, stand  up;  and  when  he  is  done,  shall  sit 
down ;  and  when  more  than  three  members 
shall  be  standing  at  the  same  time,  the  Mode- 
rator shall  require  all  to  take  their  seats,  the 
person  only  excepted  who  may  be  speaking. 


189 

28.  Decorum  of  the  Speaker. 
Every    member,  when  speaking,   shall  ad- 
dress the  Moderator;  and  shall  treat  his  fellow 
members  with  decorum  and  respect. 

29.  Priority, 
If  two  or  more  rise  to  speak  nearly  together, 
the  Moderator  determines  who  was  first  up, 
and  calls  him  by  name,  whereupon  he  pro- 
ceeds, unless  he  shall  voluntarily  sit  down  and 
give  way  to  the  other.  But  the  House  may 
not  acquiesce  in  the  Moderator's  decision,  in 
which  case  the  question  is  put,  which  member 
was  first  up. 

30.  How  often  to  speak* — Explanation  allowed. 

On  privileged  and  incidental  questions,  no 
member  shall  speak  more  than  once;  on  all 
other  questions  each  member  may  speak  twice, 
but  not  oftener,  without  the  express  permission 
of  the  House.  But  he  may  be  permitted  to 
speak  again  to  clear  a  matter  of  fact,  or  merely 
to  explain  himself  in  some  material  part  of  his 
speech ;  or  to  the  manner  or  words  of  the  ques- 
tion, keeping  himself  to  that  only,  and  not  tra- 
velling into  the  merits  of  it ;  or  to  the  orders 
of  the  House,  if  they  be  transgressed,  keeping 
within  that  line,  and  not  falling  into  the  matter 
itself. 

31.  Explanations  not  Interruptions. 

A  member  must  make  his  explanations  in 


190 

their  proper  place,  and  not  in  the  midst  of  an- 
other member's  speech,  without  his  consent. 

32.  Decorum  of  the  House. 
All  violations  of  Christian  decorum  shall  be 
carefully  avoided.     Neither  ought  members  to 
leave  the  House  during  the  transaction  of  busi- 
ness, without  permission  from  the  Moderator. 

33.  Decorum  and  Personality, 
Although  the  decent  expression  of  a  mem- 
ber's views,  concerning  men  or  measures,  sec- 
tions or  denominations,  shall  not,  of  itself,  be 
esteemed  disorderly,  yet  no  one  is  permitted  to 
use  indecent  language  concerning  prior  deci- 
sions or  peculiar  characteristics  of  this  or  any 
other  court  of  the  church ;  nor  is  he  to  deviate 
from  the  subject  to  fall  upon  the  person,  by 
using  reviling  or  uncourteous  words  against  a 
member.  The  consequences  of  a  measure  may 
be  reprobated  in  strong  terms ;  but  to  arraign 
the  motives  of  those  who  propose  or  advocate 
it,  is  personality,  and  against  order. 

34.  Light,  Prolix,  and  Desultory  Speeches 
forbidden. 

It  is  important  that  members  maintain  all 
proper  and  practicable  gravity  and  dignity  in 
deliberation;  that  they  attend  closely,  in  their 
speeches,  to  the  subject  under  consideration, 
and  avoid  prolix  and  desultory  harangues. 


191 


35.  Member  Called  to  Order. 
When  a  member  shall  be  called  to  order, 
and  the  call  is  repeated  by  the  Moderator,  he 
shall  sit  down  until  the  Moderator  shall  have 
determined  whether  he  is  in  order  or  not. 

36.  Specification  of  Disorder. 
Disorderly  words  shall  be  written  and  at- 
tested, and  the  member  permitted  to  deny  or 
justify,  explain  or  apologize  before  a  decision. 

37.  Moderator  Consult  the  House, 
Before  a  decision  the  Moderator  may  ask 
the  sense  of  the  House,  on  a  point  of  order, 
where  he  is  so  disposed. 

38.  Member  not  Vote,  but  Withdraw. 
The  member  concerned  in  the  decision  can- 
not vote,  and  circumstances  may  make  it  his 
duty  to  withdraw. 

39.  Consequence  of  Decision. 
If  the  decision  be  in  favour  of  the  speaker, 
he  shall  proceed ;  and  also  (with  deference  to 
the  decision  of  the  House)  if  it  be  against  him, 
unless  prohibited. 

40.  Appeal  from  Moderator  to  the  House,  taken 
without  Debate* 
If  any  member  consider  himself  aggrieved 
by  a  decision  of  the  Moderator,  it  shall  be 
his  privilege  to  appeal  to  the  House;  and  the 
question  on  such  appeal  shall  be  taken  without 


192 

debate.  If  still  aggrieved,  the  member  may 
have  his  dissent  or  protest,  with  his  reasons 
entered  on  the  records,  or  put  on  the  file,  if 
delivered  in  a  reasonable  time  before  the  rising 
of  the  body. 

41.  Privileged  Questions* 
It  is  a  general  rule  that  the  question  first 
moved  and  seconded  shall  be  first  put:  but  this 
gives  way  to  what  are  called  privileged  ques- 
tions; and  the  privileged  questions  are  of  dif- 
ferent grades  among  themselves. 

42.  Adjournment  has  Precedence. 
A  motion  for  adjournment  shall  always  be 
in  order,  and  shall  be  decided  without  debate, 
except  that  it  cannot  be  received  when  the 
House  is  voting  on  another  question,  nor  while 
a  member  is  addressing  the  House. 

43.  Orders  of  the  Day. 

Orders  of  the  day  take  place  of  all  other 
questions  except  for  adjournment. 

44.  Previous  Question, 

The  Previous  Question  takes  place  of  all 
others  except  adjournment  and  orders  of  the 
day. 

45.  Indefinite  Postponement — Lying  on  the   Table 
— Commitment — Amendment. 

Next  to  the  previous  question  a  motion  for 
indefinite  postponement  takes  precedency;  next 


193 

to  this  a  motion  to  lay  on  the  table,  after  which 
commitment,  which  is  before  amendment. 

46.  Previous  Question — Precludes  Debate. 
The  previous  question  shall  not  be  put  unless 

demanded  by  one-third  of  the  members  rising 
for  that  purpose.  This  call  shall  put  an  end  to 
all  discussion  until  the  previous  question  is  de- 
cided. It  is  the  only  privileged  question,  (ex- 
cept an  appeal  to  the  House,  the  motion  for 
laying  on  the  table,  or  for  adjournment,)  which 
shall  preclude  all  debate  both  on  itself  and  the 
main  question.  It  is  a  form  of  parliamentary 
proceeding  which  may  be  easily  abused,  and 
should  not  be  resorted  to  except  for  important 
reasons.  When  this  question  is  called  for  by 
the  requisite  number,  the  Moderator  shall  an- 
nounce the  fact ;  and,  after  stating  the  main 
question,  shall  say,  "  Shall  the  main  question 
be  now  put  to  vote,  and  decided  immediately, 
without  farther  discussion?"  If  this  be  de- 
cided in  the  negative,  the  discussion  of  the 
main  question  shall  proceed ;  if  in  the  affirma- 
tive, the  main  question  shall  be  put  and  de- 
cided according  to  the  terms  in  which  the 
previous  question  is  couched. 

47.  Liberty  of  Debate  not  Licentiousness. 
As   the   previous  question   may   be   easily 

abused,  so  may  the  liberty  of  touching  upon 
the  merits  of  the  main  question  in  the  discus- 
sion of  all  other  privileged  questions.  On  some 
17 


194 

of  them,  circumstances  may  be  such,  that  a  full 
discussion  of  the  main  question  may  be  entirely 
unnecessary,  and  may  even  degenerate  into 
prolix  and  desultory  harangues,  forbidden  in 
Rule  34.  On  a  motion  to  amend,  this  may  be 
so  manifest  as  to  require  the  interposition  of 
the  Chair. 

48.  Amendment  Amended, 
If  an  amendment  be  moved  to  an  amend- 
ment it  is  admitted;  but  it  would  not  be  admitted 
in  another  degree ;  to  wit,  to  amend  an  amend- 
ment to  an  amendment  of  a  main  question. 

49.  Legitimate  Amendments. 
No  new  motion  or  proposition  shall  be  ad- 
mitted under  colour  of  amendment,  as  a  substi- 
tute for  the  motion  or  proposition  under  debate. 
Yet  amendments  may  be  made  so  as  totally  to 
alter  the  nature  of  the  proposition,  as  from  an 
affirmative  to  a  negative,  or  the  converse. 

50.  Striking  Out  and  Amending. 
When  a  motion  has  been  made  to  strike  out 
or  agree  to  a  paragraph,  motions  to  amend  it 
are  to  be  put  to  the  question,  before  a  vote  is 
taken  on  striking  out  or  agreeing  to  the  whole 
paragraph. 

51.  Laying  on  the  Table,  hoio  Operate,  so  Post- 
ponement, 

A  motion  to  lay  on  the  table  shall  be  put 
without  debate,  and  is  equivalent  to  a  motion 


195 

for  postponing ;  and  if  either  be  carried,  the 
motion  or  the  business  thus  postponed  or  laid 
on  the  table  cannot  be  presented  again  on  the 
same  day,  though  it  may  on  any  or  every  day 
thereafter,  if  the  mover  choose  to  incur  such 
a  responsibility. 

52.  Piling  Privileged  Questions* 
Though  several  privileged  questions  may  be 
moved  upon  the  same  primary  question,  yet 
they  cannot  be  moved  upon  each  other  as  by 
committing  an  amendment,  or  amending  a 
commitment;  postponing  the  previous  question, 
or  pre-questioning  a  postponement;  nor  can 
they  be  doubled  upon  themselves,  as  by  post- 
poning a  postponement,  or  committing  a  com- 
mitment ;  except  in  the  single  case  of  amending 
an  amendment. 

53.  Incidental  Questions* 
But  there  are  several  questions  which  being 
incidental  to  every  one,  will  take  place  of  every 
one,  privileged  or  not ;  such  as  a  question  of 
order  arising  out  of  any  other  question;  a 
matter  of  priority  in  rising  to  speak,  (see  Rule 
29,)  reading  papers  relative  to  the  question  be- 
fore the  House;  and  the  question  for  leave  to 
withdraw  a  motion. 

54.  liemomng  or  Suspending  a  Question, 
Such  privileged  questions  as  dispose  of  the 

main  question  remove  it  from  before  the  House, 

17* 


196 

as  do  also  adjournments  and  orders  of  the  day; 
but  it  is  only  suspended  by  a  motion  to  amend, 
to  strike  out  a  paragraph,  to  withdraw,  to  read 
papers,  or  by  a  question  of  order  or  priority ; 
and  stands  again  before  the  House  when  they 
are  decided. 

55.   Unfinished  Business. 
Business  left  unfinished  at  the  last  meeting 
is  ordinarily  to  be  taken  up  first. 

STANDING  DOCKET, 

From  which  a  selection  is  to  he  made  for  particular 
courts,  and  particular  meetings. 
I.  Judicatory  constituted  or  adjourned. 
II.  Moderator  chosen,  and  inducted. 

III.  Clerks  chosen. 

IV.  Roll  called,  and  absentees  marked. 
V.  Minutes  read. 

VI.  Docket  made  out. 
VII.  Committees  appointed. 


1. 

Bills  and  Overtures. 

2. 

judicial. 

3. 

on  records  above. 

4. 

on  records  below. 

5. 

on  state  of  religion. 

6. 

statistics. 

7. 

missions. 

8. 

education. 

9. 

seminaries. 

10. 

finances. 

11. 

relifijious  exercises. 

197 

VIII.  Examination  of  candidates. 
IX.  Free  conversation  on  the  state  of  reli- 
gion ;  in  which  concise  and  time-saving 
suggestions  may  be  made  on  one  or 
more  of  the  following  subjects : 

1.  Infidelity. 

2.  Vice. 

3.  Heresy. 

4.  Persecution. 

5.  Revivals. 

6.  Means  of  grace,  scanty. 

7.  abundant. 

8.  longed  for. 

9.  Ability  or  zeal  to  support  the  Gospel. 

10.  Observance  of  the  Sabbath. 

11.  Week-day  meetings. 

12.  Prayer  meetings. 

13.  Monthly  concert. 

14.  Pastoral  visitations. 

15.  Family  religion. 

16.  Education. 

17.  Literary  institutions. 

18.  Theological     do. 

19.  Sabbath-schools  for  whites. 

20.  blacks. 

21.  Classes  for  catechising. 

22.  Bible. 

23.  Bible  societies. 

24.  Missionary  " 

25.  Education    " 

26.  Tract 


198 

27.  Moral  societies. 

28.  Benevolent  " 

X.  Reports  from  officers. 
XL  inferior  courts. 

XII.  Resolution  for  next  meeting. 

XIII.  Social  prayer  and  praise. 

XIV.  Adjournment. 

AUTHORITIES  CONSULTED. 

1.  The  Assembly  of  Divines  which  met  at 
Westminster  in  London,  in  the  chapel  called 
King  Henry  Seventh's  Chapel,  on  July  1, 1643, 
was  a  council  for  the  long  Parliament,  which 
sat  A.  D.  1641-60.  Its  members  were  10  Lords, 
20  Commoners,  and  121  Ministers,  in  all  about 
151,  of  whom  about  100  gave  constant  attend- 
ance. "  They  subsisted  till  Feb.  22,  1648-9, 
about  three  weeks  after  the  King's  death,  hav- 
ing sat  5  years,  6  months,  and  22  days,  in 
which  time  they  had  1163  sessions.  They 
were  afterwards  changed  into  a  committee  for 
(the  examination,  ordination,  and  induction  of 
ministers,)  and  met  every  Thursday  morning, 
till  March  25,  1652,  when  the  long  Parliament, 
being  turned  out  of  the  House  by  Oliver  Crom- 
well, they  broke  up  without  any  formal  disso- 
lution." They  received  from  Parliament,  first 
6,  then  8,  in  all  14  rules  of  order.    N.  3,  83. 

2.  The  1st  Presbyterian  Synod,  for  the  Pro- 
vince of  London,  contemporary  with  the  above, 


199 

met  in  St.  Paul's,  May  3,  1647.  It  had  more 
than  100  members,  2-3  lay  elders,  and  formed 
9  rules  of  order.  N.  3,  383. 

3.  G.  A.  Dig.  24,  Rules,  16 

4.  Printed  sh, 18 

5.  Appr.  1821, 43 

6.  Adopt.  1822, 40 

7.  Gov.  19,  2,  3.  Disc.  422. 

8.  Sen.  of  U.  S.  42.  ^ 

9.  Lower  House,      >  Jefferson's  Manual. 

10.  Pari,  of  G.  B.      ) 

11.  Sutherland. 


Adopted  by  the  Presbytery  of 
at  their  stated  meeting  in 


Adopted  by  the  Synod  of 
at  their  stated  meeting  in 


Adopted  by  the 

of 


THE   END. 


/1Z0-J 


■^- 


